I Don't Believe in Miracles
by FrostlyToBe
Summary: Kuroko sometimes thinks that being invisible is a curse. But when he gets thrown into a world he never knew existed, his lack of presence may be the only thing keeping him alive. Supernatural AU. In which Kuroko never met the GoM until he realizes there is more to the shadows than what can be seen. Werewolf!GoM
1. Chapter 1: A New Dark

**Hello! Just so you all know, this is a test chapter of some sort. So I don't know if I'm going to continue this or not. This is my first KNB fanfic so please tell me how I'm doing with characterization. That's all I wanted to say so enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1: A New Dark**

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"Tch, this sucks." a blue haired teen said to himself, though it was masked by the cheers of the towering crowd surrounding him. The numerous sounds hurt his keen ears and the different scents bombarded his sensitive nose without mercy. Aomine watched as a basketball went into the hoop of a team, creating the overwhelming shouts and noises of the mass to increase tenfold. He had to force himself not to place his hands over his ears; the continuous clamor was beginning to create a headache and already he was starting to feel woozy.

He huffed in annoyance. Why couldn't the Leader have made the others go on this assignment? Since they're used to doing undercover missions they're more suited to this kind of environment. Aomine would much rather be in the middle of a battle than sneaking around playing ninja, trying to find two leeches. Patience wasn't one of his best qualities. But at least their targets were at a basketball game; it's been a while since Aomine has come close to any kind of enjoyment.

He tore his eyes away from the match and studied the clock. Only ten minutes left of the fourth quarter. He clenched his teeth in anger. All this time and they haven't even gotten close to finding them! _I swear when I find even one of them I'll rip them to shreds personally for being so annoying!_ He thought furiously to himself as he pulled up his hood to cover his head and quietly slipped back into the heated crowd. He narrowed his eyes. _I hate vampires._

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"That was amazing!"

Kuroko almost tipped over when a powerful hand rammed into his back, making him loose his balance. He steadied himself and looked up to the smiling face of Kiyoshi.

"I only passed the ball as usual." Kuroko responded as he wiped a towel over his wet forehead. The game had been an intense one, he was sure they weren't going to win when almost all their offensive maneuvers had been defeated by the other team's defense. And being a team that practically relies on their run-and-gun style made their odds for winning seem slim. Barely any of Kuroko's passes had made it through the team's openings and Kuroko was furious that he was so useless during the game.

"But if it wasn't for you then we wouldn't have been able to make that last score and win!" Koganei swooped in a wrapped and arm around Kuroko's shoulders. He patted his head a few times, grinning impishly before taking off to change out of uniform.

Kuroko sighed and smoothed his hair down. True, they were down by one point and the game only had twelve seconds left. All of them were tired and about pushed to their limits. But when Kuroko was thrown the ball he saw Kagami break free from the one marking him and took a chance by passing the ball to perform one of their infamous alley-oops. If Kagami had been even a second off they would have lost the game; a lot of faith was shown between the two members in order to execute that one play. And Kuroko wasn't disappointed when Kagami slammed the ball into the basket gaining them two points and winning the match.

Kiyoshi smiled cheekily. "For a second there I thought we would have surely lost. But it's good to know that you have teammates that don't give up, even till the end." He leaned down and ran his hand through the smaller teen's hair, tousling the strands and making it stand up.

Kuroko swatted his hand away and pressed his hair back. He couldn't help but think that the tall brunette did that on purpose to get on his nerves. Why was it that everyone wanted to touch his head or mess up his hair? It's not like he enjoyed the contact and quite frankly it only proved to annoy him. Kuroko let out a puff of air and turned his gazed to his light who was just starting to change out of his clothes. Kuroko excused himself from Kiyoshi and joined Kagami near the end of the locker room.

"You don't look very happy."

"Gaaah!" Kagami jumped in the air and dropped his water on the ground. "Kuroko!" Kagami glared at the bluenette at fault. "Would you stop doing that?!" he leaned down to pick up the overturned bottle. Thank God the lid was closed. "And what do you mean I don't look happy?"

Kuroko stared at the team's power forward with irritation. It wasn't too hard to figure out that Kagami's usual bravado after a game was slightly diminished. Having his attacks repeatedly stopped one after another was enough to put the fiery player into a heavy gloom.

"Kagami-kun's emotions aren't that hard to figure out." Kuroko elaborated while he took off his shirt and changed into a fresher one. "Did the game upset you?" he asked quietly and pulled on a new pair of pants.

Kagami closed his eyes and clenched his teeth before slamming his fist into the locker in front of him. "I was completely useless! I couldn't do anything against them!"

Most of the team had already left the room but his sudden outburst caught the attention of Hyūga and Izuki, the only ones who were left besides them. They shared a glance before joining the rookie-duo.

Hyūga crossed his arms and stood in front of the distraught redhead. "You weren't completely useless. If you hadn't been there then most of our shots wouldn't have made it through the first half." He tried to reason with him.

Hyūga's words didn't seem to dissuade Kagami's thoughts though when all Kagami did was frown and look at his shoes, so Izuki put a hand to the younger's shoulder to try and comfort him. "Look, even if you didn't score as much as you usually do, you were the only one to break through their defense and keep them from scoring so much." Izuki smiled reassuringly.

Kagami snorted and roughly pulled his arm away from the point guard. This action marred the usual coolheaded teen's face with a frown of his own. Izuki didn't say anything about it but that didn't go for the same with the clutch shooter who had an enraged expression. Kagami sweat dropped and took a nervous step backwards when he saw his captain's appearance. Maybe he had taken it a bit too far.

"Bakagami!" Hyūga yelled and smacked the back of his underclassmen's head vigorously. "All we're trying to do is help you! You don't have to act all pissy about it!" He hit Kagami again for good measure to get his point across. "I won't stand for this kind of disrespect from an underling!" Kagami reared back clutching his abused head but still wouldn't take his eyes off the ground. Hyūga sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "Idiot, we won the game because of you two. You should be happy."

With those last words Hyūga turned around and exited the room, Izuki smiling sheepishly at them before following their captain. Kuroko watched them leave thoughtfully for a moment then resumed staring at the confused redhead. Kagami was silent for a while until he noticed his shadow giving him a blank look.

"What?" he snapped and turned back to finish getting ready.

"They're right you know." Kuroko answered quietly. He stuffed his sweaty uniform in his bag and laced up his shoes. Kagami only stood there watching the small phantom with a dejected look on his face. He released a breath of air and pulled his bag over his shoulder.

"It's not like I think they're wrong. I just can't help but feel like I wasn't much help in the game with being stopped and all." The redhead led the way through the building, his pace was slow as he thought over the previous match. It frustrated him that the players made it look so easy to stop the ace of Seirin's basketball team. Kagami had gotten so furious that Aida had taken him out of the game to cool his head for a while.

Kuroko followed Kagami silently. He knew exactly how Kagami felt all too well. It infuriated him that almost none of his passes had made it to his teammates. It wasn't that the other team could see him, his misdirection wasn't something that could be easily outdone, but whenever a pass was made to the phantom player all of the other team members were being blocked by the tight defense the others held. So there wasn't much Kuroko could do when he had the ball for too long and was soon seen by the enemy players.

Kuroko gripped his bag a little tighter. It made him feel so helpless.

While Kuroko was walking his head had been lowered to face the ground. The match had left him feeling quite downhearted and he didn't want to see the cheery faces of the people they passed so he kept his eyes on the back of Kagami's feet. But when Kagami's form shifted and a new pair of feet walked passed him, it was only a few seconds before those feet came too close and the body that was attached to them came crashing into the lithe bluenette.

Kuroko felt the ground come into contact with his backside and a dull throb shot through his spine at the impact. He let a small "oof" escape from his mouth. The first thing Kuroko observed about the figure in front of him was that he was tall, perhaps even taller than Kagami. His eyes traveled to the face of the person and landed on dark blue eyes that held a glint of surprise in them. Apparently his presence, as usual, had gone unnoticed by the dark skinned teen. Kuroko could see the tips of deep blue strands of hair peek out from under the hood he was wearing. Kuroko couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the menacing aura the teen practically oozed.

The teen's stance morphed into a casual and laidback posture before his face changed into annoyance. "Oi, watch it." The taller snapped and moved around the fallen bluenette, continuing on his path.

_How rude. _Kuroko mused to himself and stood up, patting dust off his clothes. He watched the other teen walk down the corridor before disappearing around a corner. Kuroko thought of how the bluenette's eyes had changed so intensely when he had bypassed him; it was almost eerily scary. _Who was that person? _Kuroko stared after the retreating back of the stranger but was called over from Kagami when he noticed the phantom player had been left behind. Kuroko shook his head and hurried to catch up.

When the duo stepped outside they were met with the cool breeze of early spring. It caressed their cheeks and bit at their noses. Kuroko pulled up the collar from his jacket higher to cover his face. They walked for a while and soon the sun had set behind the buildings of the city. When they came to the point where they would go their separate ways it was dark out and the temperature had dropped quite a bit.

"See ya later Kuroko." Kagami waved and headed down the street.

Kuroko held up his hand. "Goodbye Kagami-kun." He wasn't very pleased when they had been told where the game was being held. Since it was so far away, it would be a good other hour before the bluenette would arrive home. It was already so late at night and Kuroko could see his breath in the brisk air. Kuroko heaved the bag further up his shoulder and began the long walk back home.

The walk itself wasn't hard, but after playing such an intense game it left his muscles aching and begging to stop and rest. Kuroko stood next to an old building and placed his hand on the cold brick. It bit into his flesh but he didn't have the strength to remove it and leant heavily against the wall. Curse his horrible stamina! Now he wished he had taken the train instead.

The small teen shook his head to clear the vertigo and took a step forward. But that was when he heard the, otherwise small crash, of a trashcan tipping over in one of the alleyways from across the street. The bang seemed to reverberate through the silent city.

The ominous sound unnerved Kuroko. _It's probably just a stray cat. _He told himself, trying to ease his mind from the eerie alley. He clutched at the strap of his bag tighter and, ignoring the black hole between the two buildings, put another foot in front of the other to continue his walk home. He made it another few steps before the rattling sound of a bike tipping over reached his ears.

The bluenette paused mid-step and glanced over to the upturned bicycle behind him. The chain that held it to the lamppost was broken and the front wheel of the bicycle was spinning around as it lay. Kuroko gulped, he had just passed that bike. _Maybe the chain was just old. _He tried to reason with himself. This was starting to look like the beginnings of a horror film.

He picked up his pace and rounded the corner leaving the ethereal bike and strange noises behind him, only to come face to face with a street that was almost completely in the dark. The lights to all the lamps had peculiarly gone out besides the occasional two that flickered on and off with the usual low buzzing sound. Kuroko looked behind him to the previous street. He couldn't go the way he came, the street eventually became a dead end and never came close to Kuroko's house. On the other hand though, Kuroko didn't feel much to go treading through the dark and creepy pathway. But it was practically the only, and fastest, way to get home.

Sighing to himself Kuroko thought that with his luck so far he'll probably come across a big hole and fall into it. Making up his mind, the phantom player drew in a quick breath and all but ran through the blackened mist, the darkness swallowing him up as he ventured further from the safety of the light.

The street seemed to stretch on forever and as he ran through the murky street Kuroko was on the verge of collapsing from his muscle exertion. The cold air burned his lungs as he panted, desperate for air, and made his throat feel as if it were closing up painfully. Kuroko flew around the corner and stopped to catch his breath, his knees practically buckling under his weight. He closed his eyes and lifted his hand to the light pole beside him to steady his balance.

Once his heart slowed down and he almost caught his breath Kuroko opened his eyes to see shiny shards of glass litter the ground around his feet. He took a few steps back to observe the streetlamp above him. The glass had been broken and the tiny bulb resting inside of it flickered on and off in its last desperate attempts to remain lit.

The phantom player glanced to the other lamps residing on both sides of the sidewalk and, upon noticing that the same fate had been given to them, came to the conclusion that someone had purposely broken all the lights down the street. Kuroko watched as the small lightbulb gave its last flicker of life before the area surrounding it was obscured in darkness. It didn't help Kuroko's case when he looked to the sky and saw that the moon was hidden behind a layer of storm clouds, showing the promising signs of rain later.

The anxious bluenette turned back around to continue his journey, having grown tired of the little escapade. He was now beyond exhausted with having his adrenaline heightened for the second time that day and just wanted to go home and sleep the rest of the day away in his nice comfy bed. He trudged forward in the direction of his house.

Now Kuroko was well known for his ability to observe things quite quickly in great detail. So even when he was practically half dead and his eyes were on the edge of becoming blurry with his heavy eyelids, Kuroko caught the barely visible flash of motion from in front of him.

The form itself wasn't that distinguishable since it was coated in black but Kuroko could have sworn that the thing looked like the body of a person. It wasn't a while after that when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps. But that wasn't the only problem. As they came closer Kuroko could pinpoint the numbers of the steps and concluded that there were at least three people surrounding him.

They ran around him in circles. Never giving away their specific location but not near enough to where Kuroko could identify them. All he could see were the blackish blurs they left behind as they glided through the night. Having enough of this Kuroko took off at a sprint, a new batch of adrenaline rushing through his veins. He couldn't say he wasn't glad. The adrenaline was most likely the only thing keeping him going at this point.

Kuroko dodged through winding turns in the streets and made sudden changes in his direction to try and throw his pursuers off. His heart felt as if it was going to burst through his chest but Kuroko pushed through the pain. He would rather not become a victim to whatever those three were possibly planning for him.

He knew that going home to his empty house wouldn't be the best option, so the bluenette stopped short and changed directions again to head down to Kagami's place. His apartment was settled in the middle of the city and Kuroko hoped that his pursuers didn't have the courage to go chasing him through the crowded streets of the city. He whipped out his cellphone and shakily pushed the numbers to Kagami's cell.

He only got to the last number however. Kuroko was about to dial the call button but was stopped forcefully when something not unlike a wall blocked his path. One second he was running for dear life but in the next, Kuroko had ended up on the floor not knowing what had happened. The impact had forcefully taken the breath from his lungs and his phone was lost in the fall. Kuroko lay there gasping for air and tried to come up with an answer as to why Lady Luck just didn't seem to be on his side today.

He raised his head groggily only to see his pursuers and decided that luck had a definite nasty sense of humor. He sighed in defeat and let his head hit the ground again. Maybe they were just some people who needed directions to the nearest convenience store? Kuroko took one look at the malicious glint in their eyes and squashed that thought down. However, he then noticed that only two of them were there. _Odd. _He thought. He could have sworn that there were three of them.

He shakily stood up and dusted the dirt off from his clothes in an attempt to seem impassive. If these guys wanted to get a rise out of him then he wouldn't satisfy them in the least.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko began, "I didn't see you there." Maybe he could talk his way out of this. If anything he could at least distract them long enough so that he could slip away using his misdirection. It was a large gamble but it was worth the risk. He might be able to collect his phone along the way and call the police. His eyes began to lazily drift inconspicuously along the ground for his phone; he should probably hurry before another one of them came to help.

"Oh, it's quite alright."

One of the two spoke up. Kuroko studied his rather small appearance and jumpy way he seemed to move. The guy appeared as if he couldn't stand still and was constantly moving around. His eyes carried large bags beneath them like he had insomnia and flickered every which way in suspicion. He was short, even shorter than Kuroko and had unevenly chopped hair covering his eyes. Kuroko caught the glimpse of blue eyes through the curtain of his black hair. "You see, that's what we wanted. We just love to play with our food before we eat. Don't we Shion?" the insomniac addressed a larger male beside him. Ignoring the odd use of words, Kuroko's attention moved to the other male.

He was extremely buff. That was the first thing that ran through Kuroko's mind. The one called Shion looked as if he could lift a car with one hand. His brown hair was unkempt and his green eyes drooped in laziness, as if he threatened and killed people on regular bases. And just like his appearance portrayed Kuroko wasn't disappointed when he heard the telltale deep voice ring in his ears when he replied to insomniac's first question.

"No I actually think it's just you who likes to do that." Shion deadpanned unenthusiastically. "Besides, we aren't here to eat him. We have a job to do remember?"

Insomniac crossed his arms in a pout at Shion's statement. "Why do you always have to be such a buzzkill Shion?" he stomped his foot like a three year old.

Kuroko was a bit amused that the two possible serial killers could be so childish, and they didn't seem to know that you shouldn't take your eyes off your captive. Kuroko, having located his phone, sneaked a few steps to the left to where he was within reaching distance of the electronic. The two continued to argue, practically forgetting about Kuroko. He silently reached down to pick up his phone but it was swiped away before he got within three inches of it.

A little annoyed Kuroko stood face to chest with the mysterious third member who suddenly showed up. _I knew that there were three._ He mused to himself.

This one, unlike the other two, looked normal. Kuroko had to lean his head back a bit to see his face but other than his height the guy seemed pretty average. He had black hair that was slicked back out of his eyes and a common looking face, and he wore clothes that didn't particularly stand out. All in all, he was the kind of person you could easily forget about, but when Kuroko got to his eyes, his breath caught in his throat. His eyes weren't normal at all. The whites of his eyes were black leaving the color of his irises to be the only thing visible and large black veins protruded from his face, surrounding his eyes in a cryptic maze of black. What's more is that when he grinned ruthlessly at the bluenette, he showed off abnormally large canines framing his mouth.

Kuroko gulped and took a step back. Now he knew for certain that his fatigue was catching up to him and causing him to be delusional. But just why did his mind have to make up something like this? He didn't even like supernatural things!

The creepy eyed male held up Kuroko's phone with a leer. "Did you want this?" he asked nonchalantly. When Kuroko didn't reply and only stared tentatively at him the man sighed as if Kuroko ignoring him hurt his feelings. "Well, it doesn't matter seeing as you won't need it anymore once we're done with you." The phone snapped in his hand and Kuroko watched in disbelief as his phone fell to the ground in pieces.

"Oh! Ryuga you're here." The insomniac pranced up to Ryuga with a cheery grin on his face. "We caught him for you. This is the one you wanted right?"

Ryuga looked thoughtful for a moment assessing Kuroko. "Yes it is. You did a good job Nataru."

Kuroko narrowed his eyes a bit. He didn't like the way they kept referring to him as "it." He glanced down at his phone again and mourned the unfortunate death it had gotten. Dismissing the fact that he didn't have the money to buy a new one he turned back to his kidnappers. "Who are you people?" Kuroko asked aloud, capturing the attention of the three.

Shion shuffled up to the group and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm afraid that you are asking the wrong question and thus we won't answer." Kuroko almost snorted at his reply. Wasn't the buff guy supposed to be the idiot of the group? At least he knows he won't be kidnapped by the average, clichéd gang. _Yay me. _

Kuroko took another gander at the strange trio before him, avoiding the abnormal gaze of Ryuga._ I hope that's just make-up. _"What. . ." he started, feeling as if he wouldn't be able to walk away from this encounter, "are you?" he finished quietly.

Ryuga developed a satisfied expression of his face and took a step closer to Kuroko. "Are you a believer in fairytales Kuroko-kun?" the tall ravenette began. Kuroko, ignoring the fact that the guy knew his name, shuffled on his feet not liking where the conversation was headed. "How about mythical stories or folktales?" he continued. He walked around Kuroko circling him in a trap with nowhere to go. "What if I told you," he stopped in front of him with an amused grin, "that they were all true?"

Kuroko sucked in a breath to keep a chuckle from escaping his lips. Did the guy even know just how cliché that sounded? What was he going to say next? That they were fairies coming to take him to a magical land and call him king? Ppffft. _Well there goes them being an original gang. Not only are they dull, but they're _delusional_ too. _

"I can see this amuses you." Ryuga stated crossly. "Then let me say that this story won't be a particularly happy one. For you see Kuroko-kun, we are the ultimate hunters of this world and you happen to be our prey."

Kuroko almost rolled his eyes. But in fear of setting the obviously insane lunatics off he refrained from any offending actions. Even if they were deranged they still had the power to hack Kuroko's head off and he was rather attached to his head thank you very much.

"So you're vampires?" he guessed more out of impatience than anything. This conversation was dragging out for far too long and he wanted them to get done with whatever they were planning.

"Awww, you ruined it!" Nataru exclaimed with a crestfallen frown. "You're supposed to let us tell you!"

Shion and Ryuga all but face palmed at their friend's idiocy.

Kuroko watched uninterestedly as the two began to scold said idiot. He stared at the three as an argument broke out between them and soon afterwards a fist fight had commenced. _Was it supposed to be this easy?_ He asked himself. With one last glance at the feuding trio, Kuroko spun around and took off down the street leaving the idiots who failed at kidnapping him behind.

At first he thought he was home free but after a while he could hear the angry shouts as they realized that their prey had gotten away. _It shouldn't matter. _He thought. _I'm already too far away. _But a few steps farther was all the time he got before he could hear the other's footsteps slowly catch up. Were they some kind of marathon runners? How could they possibly be that close already?

Kuroko had second thoughts about them being vampires. Could it actually be possible? Were there actual supernatural creatures living beneath the noses of humans? As they got closer Kuroko had a sinking feeling on what to do next. He clearly couldn't outrun them. And this chase had begun to take on the effects of cat and mouse. Kuroko was getting anxious at the thought of what they would do to him once they captured him.

Would they beat him till he passed out? Torture him then leave him to die? Or perhaps they would actually capture him and he would never get to see his family again. Kuroko felt his stomach churn violently at the thought. He quickly shook his head, ridding himself of the unwanted thoughts. He needed to focus if he was to escape the "vampires" on his tail.

Kuroko rounded a corner and sprinted full speed ahead. He glanced at his surroundings and immediately felt reassurance. He knew where he was. Just a few streets ahead of him there was a police station. If he could make it inside then perhaps the vampires would leave him alone.

He saw the lights from the building shine through the darkness and he was relieved to know that he could finally get those lunatics away from him. The thoughts of a warm bed waiting for him made him push forward with a new burst of speed. However, in his haste he didn't notice the shadow of a body fly up beside him and it was already too late to stop before an arm wrapped around him. Kuroko wanted to cry out, scream, yell, or _something _to get anyone's attention, but Ryuga's body twisted with him in his grip and Kuroko was sent spiraling to the ground for the third time that day.

It hurt more this time around. Using Kuroko's momentum, the black-eyed teen had flipped Kuroko over his shoulder and considering his height, Kuroko had a long ways to go before his body met the earth. The sound was sickening as he made contact with the concrete and the back of his head banged roughly on the ground. Kuroko lied there, unable to move. His eyes were wide as he stared above him, gasping to replenish the air that left his lungs.

He couldn't think coherently. His thoughts were jumbled with the repeated throbbing of pain flashing through his head and down his body. He couldn't believe it. They weren't kidding about hurting him. Kuroko grimaced in pain when he felt the beginnings of blood starting to pool around his head. He must have gotten cut. Kuroko lay stiff as his vision was blocked by the cruel smirk of Ryuga.

"I don't like to be underestimated Kuroko-kun." Ryuga looked down on him his mouth turning into a toothy sneer, his sharp teeth glaring in the reflected light. He snapped his fingers and Kuroko could only helplessly groan in agony when he felt hands pull him up from the ground to stand him side by side with Shion and Nataru. His legs felt weak and they shook under the strain from his weight. Kuroko could barely keep his eyes open as his head rolled limply to the side to stare at the ground.

His chin was jerked roughly up to face Ryuga's as the tall ravenette scrutinized him. "Why didn't you believe us when we told you we were the best hunters this world has to offer? It was pretty stupid to run off like that." Kuroko tried to give the black-eyed teen a glare but it only made him squeeze his eyes shut from the shock of pain shooting through his head. Ryuga chuckled.

"Ryuga-san! You made him bleed!" Kuroko felt an uneasy shift from beside him. "You know that I haven't eaten in weeks, this is torturous for me!" Nataru's grip tightened on Kuroko's arm. The new pain was a good distraction from the constant throbbing behind his eyes. He was starting to feel the blood drip down his neck and stain the collar of his jacket.

"They never said that we couldn't taste him." Shion spoke up from his other side, startling the bluenette. Kuroko almost forgot about the brunette beside him. "I don't think it would matter as long as we don't kill him." He stated evenly.

Ryuga let go of his chin and took a step back. "Then by all means, let's eat." Kuroko felt a rough shove from behind his knees as he was knocked back to the ground, this time though, he was sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him. Shion and Nataru backed away from him. They aren't really going to drink his blood are they? He watched as Ryuga slowly sauntered to his side.

Kuroko let out a strangled noise and frantically pushed back with his arms and legs, trying to get as far away from the approaching teen. What the hell were these guys?! Kuroko felt a spark of fear shoot through him as Ryuga advanced leisurely, his expression turning feral as the canines in his mouth lengthened before his eyes. The other two at the sides chuckled at the retreating teen. Kuroko gulped and turned around on his hands and knees, trying to pick himself up from the ground.

_It's no use. _He told himself. _There's no one here and no place to go. This is it. _

Kuroko clenched his teeth to muffle any sounds of pain as Ryuga pounced on his back, pushing him face first into the ground. The cold street stung and cut into his cheek. Kuroko lay there without struggle, having given up and closed his eyes in defeat. _Just get this over with. _

Kuroko sucked in a breath when he heard a triumphant snarl from the towering teen and felt his teeth on his neck just starting to puncture the skin. But they didn't get any farther than that. Kuroko heard a click from beside them and suddenly a large bang sounded, filling the streets with its echoes. The air was quickly filled with a thick red mist. It stunk of decay and metal and was sticky as it landed on them. Kuroko didn't know what to make out of it. It didn't seem to have any effect on him but that didn't go for the same with the trio behind him.

Kuroko was confused as the weight of Ryuga was suddenly gone and screams filled the air around him. Kuroko pushed himself onto his elbows and slowly lifted himself to his knees. He couldn't see much through the pungent mist still hanging in the air but he could still make out the forms of the vampires writhing in pain on the ground, their choked screams and coughs filling his ears.

Ryuga shifted closer to the bluenette and Kuroko almost threw up the instant he saw the skin where the mist had touched them bubble like a burning rash, creating a sickening hissing noise. Kuroko placed his hands on his mouth, covering his face as he gagged at the stench. The smell of burning flesh brought tears to his eyes and Kuroko shakily crawled out of the smoky area, desperate for fresh air.

He scraped up his hands and tore the cloth around his knees as he dragged himself away from the trio. It was worth it though, when his face hit the cold air and he took in much needed oxygen. Kuroko coughed a few times, trying to rid himself of the stench sticking to the back of his throat. Keeping his head down, Kuroko shakily stood up, swaying a bit as the wooziness in his head heightened from the sudden movement.

He lifted his hand to the back of his head, wanting to know just how much damage was done. When his fingers touched a rather large gash in his flesh he quickly pulled away with a hiss, his touch making the cut sting angrily. He brought his hand in front of his eyes to see it covered with blood. _My blood…_ Kuroko hastily wiped his hand on his tattered pants, the blood smearing and standing out on the white uniform.

He sluggishly lifted his head, cautious of any fast movements. He needed to get away. Those guys could come back any second and Kuroko didn't want to wait to try and find out if they were even still alive. Kuroko blinked a few times and looked ahead of him but was taken back by the narrowed gaze of golden eyes that seemed to glow through the darkness. They were unnaturally bright and all but gave off their own glow in the black night. Kuroko stared, enraptured by their light before being startled by a wet cough from behind him.

He took a hasty step forward in attempt to get as far away as possible from the vampires but his body shook with effort and gave out in its last endeavor for safety. Kuroko fell hard to the ground, his body collapsing without his consent. The bluenette let out a muffled "oomph" when he was suddenly lifted from the ground, his weight being carried by arms.

Kuroko hazily made out blonde hair from under a hood and sharp golden eyes before darkness consumed his vision and his head fell limp against their chest.

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**Please don't be mad at me for the treatment of Kuroko. But in the future chapters there will be lots of gore and blood. If you have a weak stomach I wouldn't recommend reading this. Anyways, tell me what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2: Eyes in the Dark

**Hello. So from all the positive reviews and favorites I decided to post the next chapter. I was going to post it next week but I can't wait to hear what you guys think so far. Please enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2: Eyes in the Dark**

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Aomine rubbed at his eyes tiredly. After all this time of searching, he didn't even come close to finding them! The bluenette was sure he looked everywhere for the annoying leeches but it was like they weren't even there. He couldn't even pick up a stale scent from at least one of them. Not only that, but this was possibly the worst environment to be in, especially for someone of his kind. Constant noises and scents put his senses on overdrive and the continuous work had built a rather large headache behind his eyes. _At least the game was interesting enough. _He thought to himself.

While the teen had been on lookout he had come face to face with the endearing smells of the food being eaten around him. Aomine knew that he shouldn't get anything to eat, it was a distraction and the Leader would definitely punish him for any useless interruptions. But it was hard to ignore when his stomach growled at him with the constant reminder that he hadn't had anything to eat since dinner the night before. The bluenette could only hold his stomach in pain and watch enviously as others around him ate their greasy meals.

All day. That's how long they've been here. Since the moment the sun came up to now, which is sometime around eleven Aomine notes when he glances down at his watch with annoyance. _Looks like we missed them. Leader's going to be so pissed. _Aomine shivered involuntary when he imagined what the scary leader had in store for them when he got the news.

Aomine yawned and stretched his arms above his head before making his way out of the court at a leisurely pace. With it being so late and with the last game of the night having ended a while ago, the building was mostly empty. There were a few pedestrians every now and again and occasionally Aomine caught the glimpse of a janitor hard at work on the floors. The building was silent for which Aomine was thankful for. He didn't know how much longer he could go with the noises bombarding his sensitive ears.

He strolled through the halls, his thoughts wondering off to the game he had watched. To say the least, it was nothing more than your average high school basketball game. There were a few moments when Aomine couldn't help but feel impressed with the way the ace of that one team handled the ball. It almost made him want to play basketball again. Aomine shook his head. He promised himself that he would never play the sport after what happened. But he couldn't help it when a strange sense of nostalgia washed over him as he made his way to the entrance of the building.

On the other hand, Aomine was a bit confused when he watched one team play with only four players. He distinctly remembered that the teams had five players each. The team missing one didn't look short of extra players but that didn't stop them from only having four on the court. As he continued to watch the game though, Aomine noticed that the ball moved in strange paths as it was passed from one player to the other. It was like a ghost was controlling it. Aomine shuddered a bit at the thought.

It kind of reminded him of that player he had run into. His jersey clearly stated that he was a part of the team but Aomine didn't remember ever seeing him on the bench with the rest of his teammates. Perhaps he had gotten there late? It was possible. He smelt the sweat that laced the teen's body when he passed him. Maybe he had ran to catch the last quarter? Not only that but what really shocked him was the fact that Aomine didn't even noticed the lithe bluenette before it was too late and the small teen had crashed into the floor. It wasn't every day that Aomine failed to notice someone. His reflexes were the best in his pack and Aomine prided himself on that fact. But the small bluenette had completely bypassed Aomine's radars. It still left him unnerved by the other's lack of presence.

Aomine sauntered down the last few steps of the stairs and glanced over at the concession stand fixing to close down by the entrance. _To hell with it. _He thought with aloofness. What more could the Leader punish him with now that their targets have given them the slip. Aomine picked up his pace to catch the cashier before she closed down the stand for good. He only wanted a drink so the cashier didn't mind pouring him a cup full of carbonated soda before going home.

Aomine paid and left the dim building, sucking on his drink as he left to go to their meeting place. He was probably already there, waiting for him with annoyance because he was late yet again. Aomine sighed and closed his eyes. If only this night could end. He didn't think he could control himself when that nagging voice of his starts to go off on how he left him waiting there for ten minutes more than usual. _Typical Kise. _

Much to his surprise though, when Aomine arrived at the small park not too far off from the building he realized that he was the first one there. _That's odd. _Usually Aomine is the last one for everything. He looked around at his surrounding before taking a seat at one of the benches lining the sidewalk. He sucked on his drink and looked to the sky above him. The moon was clouded over by nasty looking storm clouds and Aomine could hear the sounds of thunder rolling through the air above. He hoped it wouldn't start raining until after they were home.

A few minutes later, Aomine had finished his drink and after throwing it into the nearest trash bin the bluenette took out his phone to dial the hyperactive blonde. Dialing in the numbers from memory Aomine held the device up to his ear and waiting impatiently as the rings continued to sound. Not before too long Kise's voice answered but only to say his voicemail. Aomine clicked the end call button and narrowed his eyes through the darkness. Something's not right.

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Kise was honestly surprised by the small bluenette's presence when he caught up to the troublesome vampires. They were obviously targeting him, probably for their latest meal, which didn't sound all that great to the young werewolf. The Leader had told them specific orders regarding their new mission, but as he watched them torment the little teen he realized that he wouldn't be able to ignore something like this.

He had found them a while after the game had ended. He was waiting for Aomine to show up at their designated rendezvous spot when he smelt their rather distinguishing scents. It wasn't pleasant to say the least. It was a revolting combination of something sickly sweet and half dead like a rotten corpse dunked in perfume. The outside tried to make it seem all nice and sugary but it didn't hide the fact that something disgusting resided beneath its shell. Kise had to stop himself from physically gagging when he came around the pungent odor.

He followed their trail into the dark city, staying far behind as to not let them capture his scent and to remain inconspicuous. He tailed them silently, hidden in the shadows and remaining downwind. Vampires were well known for their sensing abilities, and with Kise being a werewolf it only heightened those attributes. Werewolves and vampires were extremely perceptible by each other. It only made sense though seeing as how the only thing vampires should really be afraid of in the world were werewolves.

Werewolves were practically built to kill vampires. Like hounds sent to hunt cats. The rivalry between the two had lasted for centuries and it was all but encoded in their DNA to hate one another. Vampires were indeed one of the best hunters around, but that only goes for the prey it's meant to hunt. Nothing says that the hunter couldn't also be the hunted. Isn't it only right to always have a predator around? Something that's always there waiting to snap at you from the shadows?

It must be the world's natural order. The same went for all the other animals inhabiting the world. If werewolves weren't around Kise could only shudder at the thought of what vampires would be able to do. No doubt they would have turned the world into their own personal playground by now. It made him sick just thinking of all the nasty qualities that came with being a vampire. A leech was the very definition of a vampire. The sick bastards attach themselves to people just to try and sustain their already dead lives. Vampires were nothing more than pesky parasites.

Kise slowed down around the corner of a building, he was starting to hear voices a few miles away. There were four of them he realized as he came closer still. The vampires most likely decided to stop and toy with their meal. _Tch, crazed lunatics. _Kise couldn't help but narrow his eyes in distaste. What was the point of scaring your food before you eat? All vampires had a sick sense of humor. The blonde copy-cat raised his eyes to the rooftop of a building. He quickly jumped from one side of the wall to the opposite one so he could propel himself to the top. It would be safer this way and he could possibly get closer without being noticed.

He traveled as soundlessly as he could, treading gradually from rooftop to rooftop. He jumped over a ledge, landing softly on his feet on the next building over. He could hear them easily now. They were speaking with arrogant voices and they laughed over something one of them said. Kise slid down the side of the ledge and shuffled his way across the small raised wall that lined the edge of the roof, keeping his body low as to not be seen. He came to a stop; the vampires were right beneath him on the street. Kise slowly raised his head over the ledge, peeking below to the four.

But he was taken back when he only saw three. _Was I wrong? _Kise asked himself. He could have sworn he heard four voices. He studies them with his eyes narrowed. One of them was talking to something, no wait…someone? But there was no one there. Kise almost shivered when his eyes met the face of the one speaking, seeing those eyes always creeped him out. It wasn't natural for something to look so evil. His eyes trailed over to the other two. They were standing side by side with their arms placed to their sides like they were holding something. And that was when Kise noticed the defeated looking pale boy placed between the two vamps.

Kise almost yelped. He quickly drew back from the edge and placed his hands on his mouth to muffle any sounds. Was he there from the start? Kise didn't even see him! This whole time he had been watching them and somehow that little blue haired boy had gone completely unnoticed by the young wolf. _Creepy._ Kise thought with a shiver. How was a mere human able to pull off something so uncanny? It was a mystery as to how something could avoid a werewolf's sense of smell. But now that Kise looked back over and gave the air a tentative sniff he could barely catch the aroma of an ocean breeze.

_It must be the kid's scent. _Kise told himself. Maybe he had disregarded it because of the vampires overpowering stench. Kise studied the teen's appearance. The bluenette looked worse for wear with his bruised and cut face, long gash on his head and overall way his body shook with strain to keep him upright. Kise caught the scent of a metallic substance. _Blood. _That's not good. It wasn't safe to have vampires anywhere near fresh blood. They became mindless creatures with only one instinctual thought, to feed.

The blonde teen stayed still as he watched the next scene take place. The two lackeys forcefully shoved the bluenette to his knees before the leader and backed away from the quivering high school student. The teen made a frightened sound and used his limbs to scoot himself as far away from the vampire advancing on him. Kise growled under his breath, seeing that smug grin on the leech's face made him want to tear his head off. He breathed silently through his nose, now wasn't the time to get angry.

The lithe teen turned to his hands and knees, struggling to get away from the vampires. Kise clenched his teeth when the bluenette turned his way. He got only a glimpse, but it made his blood boil when he saw how terrified the student was. His eyes were wide but obviously unfocused as he turned his body to retreat in the opposite direction. The cut on his head must be taking its toll as the bluenette pulled himself across the street, leaving a trail of blood in his stead. The red liquid had seeped through certain spots in his uniform from where he most likely got cut. And blood poured from the wound on his head, soaking the blue strands to create a gruesome shade of contorted purple.

Finally the leader had enough of playing games and pounced on the back of the small teen, shoving his body harshly in to the ground and making his face scrape against the cold concrete. Kise noticed the defeated look in the boy's eyes before he closed them and let out a breath of air as if realizing there was no use. He slackened his body beneath the vampire's and the leech smiled cruelly giving a triumphant snarl before placing his elongated fangs at the teen's neck.

Kise reacted without thinking. He knew that this was going against the Leader's orders of not engaging the enemy but he felt like he had no choice. He couldn't just sit back and do nothing as he watched the vampires drain the life out of an innocent person! Quickly Kise pulled a circular object from his pocket inside his jacket and, making sure to pull the pin from the latch, threw it over the ledge. It gave one bounce on the ground before it exploded into a thick red mist. There was one thing that vampires truly hated more than sunlight, one of their few weaknesses, and something that was almost entirely impossible to get. That something was dead man's blood.

The red liquid was something like a poison to the vampires. It ate at their skin and seeped into their bloodstream creating pain and locking up their primary functions. It was a gruesome way to hold them off but it worked like a charm. It didn't kill them but it does result in a lot of damage to their organs. It makes the blood inside them burn and evaporate leaving them weak and thirsty. The point of it was to leave the vampire so weak and desperate for blood that it would eventually die on its own before coming close to its next meal. A vampire needed a constant supply of blood through its veins otherwise it wouldn't function properly. If a vampire were to deprive itself of blood then it would slowly weaken in agony, soon after it would eventually stop working all together. Its body would forcefully shut itself down, lying as a cold statue, waiting for its next taste of blood.

It creeped Kise out that something could live for so long. Nothing should be able to have a life of immortality; all things have to come to an end eventually.

Kise launched himself over the side of the building and landed a few meters away from the cloud of red smoke. He stood there waiting for any signs of movement. If they were to attack him then he would be ready. The blonde stood there, his muscles tense as his eyes searched through the dark. Slowly, a shadowed form drags itself out of the mist. It staggered to its feet and made noises full of pain. Kise placed his right foot behind him, his body automatically shifting into a battle stance out of muscle memory. He waited for him to make the first move.

The person made a hiss of pain then looked up to face in Kise's direction. It wasn't long before his bright blue eyes met the blonde's own. Kise let his guard drop a little as he took in the anguished expression the boy held and marveled at how someone could hold so much emotion in their eyes. A sudden cough seemed to startle the boy out of his trance and he hurriedly made a step forward towards Kise. But it seemed to be too much for his body to handle when his legs suddenly gave out beneath him and he fell to the cold ground.

Kise impulsively ran out to catch him before his body could touch the ground. He held him close to his chest and he rose with the bluenette tucked safely in his arms. The blue orbs took a second to stare at him before rolling up into the back of his head and falling limply in his arms.

Kise studied the way the blue strands of hair were clumped together in a mess of blood and sweat and stuck to the teen's face. His cheeks were cut and bleeding slightly and bruises laced his jaw. His breathing came out in shallow gasps and his form physically sagged as if his body had given up all together. Kise took one last look at the suffering vampires before turning tail and fleeing to somewhere safe.

Even though it was dead man's blood, it was only a little dose and it wasn't injected directly into the vampire's system. So it only affected them from the outside and it wouldn't be much longer before they started to regain their senses. He would give it sixty-no forty five seconds before they would be hot on his trial. Kise held the bluenette tighter and picked up his pace; there was no time to waste. The copy-cat raced down the streets making wild turns at a twenty five mile sprint. His legs blurred, looking as if they were gliding across the pavement. His top speed in this form was nowhere near fast enough to compare with his wolf form or the vampire's. But he couldn't take risks right now and his wolf form would only heighten his smell.

He spun once more on his heel, almost coming to a complete stop before changing direction in a 90 degree turn down another street. His eyes searched for a place to hide along the partially darkened street. Seeing a narrow alleyway, Kise started for the gap and slid easily between the two buildings. He traveled briskly through the passageway only to come to a halt in front of a tall wall. His eyes skimmed over to the top. It was too high for him to jump, especially with extra weight. He turned to head back but stopped short when he heard incoming footsteps. _Dammit! They found me already?!_ Kise clutched at the unconscious boy in his arms and slowly backed up until his back hit the wall.

He would have to wait right here and hope that the reek of the garbage lining the walls would be able to mask his scent. He held his breath and anxiously watched for any movements. If anything, he could possibly place the bluenette on the ground and transform if need be, but he knew it wouldn't be safe and his huge form could easily crush the small teen if he accidently fell on him. He glanced back up to the top of the wall. Maybe he could place him on his back and jump from wall to wall to reach the top? But the student was unconscious and wouldn't be able to hold on; Kise needed all his limbs when doing something like that.

The sound of approaching footsteps made his decisions come to a halt. As he saw their forms stand in front of the small gap he could only wait, hidden in the shadows.

"Their trail ends here." He heard one of them say. They made a few scuffling noises before going silent.

"Damn it! He must have left a false trail! Sneaky bastard!" a small ravenette stomped his foot in anger before looking to the taller of the three. "What should we do?"

The tall purple eyed male narrowed his eyes at something hidden from view. "Let's head back. Maybe we can start off from that intersection." The two nodded at him before taking off in the direction from which they came.

Kise closed his eyes, concentrating on the sounds of their retreating footsteps. It was hard to do though when his heartbeat drowned out almost all the other sounds around him. He let out a shaky breath, relieved that they hadn't been found. He stepped off the wall and cautiously made his way to the opening. However, he didn't make it two steps before an alarming ring sounded from his back pocket. _Oh no! _Kise's eyes widened in panic as he hurriedly tried to reach his phone. The added weight of the bluenette made it a struggle though, and it took him a few seconds of moving him over his shoulder before he could turn off the noise.

The sound had bounced across the empty streets almost tauntingly and Kise glared down at the caller I.D shown on his screen. He was about to answer it when a chuckle escaped from one of the vile leeches atop the roof from above.

"Found you." Was all they said before jumping down to face him. Kise stared unfazed into the black eyes boring into him, blocking the only path of escape. Kise felt a shift of air as the other two vampires surrounded him from behind. His eyes rapidly moved around him, trying to figure out a way to flee. The area was much too small for a fight much less for him to even shapeshift. Kise narrowed his eyes and pressed a button on his phone before returning it to his pocket.

"Alright, good for you. Do you want a cookie as a reward?" Kise snapped with venom lacing his voice. Oh, how he despised these creatures.

"Looks like the mutt can bark." Kise glanced to see the bigger one smiling at him. "But it's the bite that I'm more interested in." he continued. Kise snorted, like he hasn't heard that one before. These vamps were running out of dog jokes. Most of them nowadays were pathetically sad.

"Geez, I bet it took you a whole century trying to figure out that one." He retorted irritated. Aomine should have realized he's gone now, the only thing he could do was stall and hope that the blue eyed teen would make it in time.

The leader snarled at him with a mouth full of fangs. "You are in no position to be making snide comments mongrel." He stepped forward in warning. "If it was up to me I would have already torn out your throat and watched you bleed by now." He sighed as he closed his eyed. "But unfortunately I cannot, seeing as you have what we want in your arms and if that one were to die the Master would have our heads. Now if you would be so kind as to hand over the boy, we'll be on our way." The taller tried to reason with him.

Kise lowered his gaze to the still bluenette in his arms. What's so special about him that the vampires would want? Other than his lack of presence the boy seemed normal enough. His skin was a bit on the pale side but that could be because of his loss of blood. His thick lashes brushed his cheeks, covered in the thick red liquid that had run down from a scratch on his forehead. They had really beaten him. Kise raised his eyes back to glare into the other's.

"No." was all he said. _Idiot!_ Kise scolds himself. Now they will surely kill him instead of letting him go. _Yeah, like there was a chance of that happening. _

"Very well then." The purple eyed leader leaned back and crossed his arms, taking a second to consider the next course of action.

Kise felt a small shift from the sleeping boy in his arms. _He must be pretty valuable. _Kise mused with confusion lacing his thoughts. Why else would the vampires take such precaution in their actions? Maybe they thought that Kise would hurt the bluenette just to get out of the situation, or worse, _kill _him. Kise tensed his muscles in wait. _Sorry, guys. I'm not like you. _And with that the blonde teen sprang from his position to the wall beside them and pushed off with all his might, holding the stirring teen tighter. He succeeded in what he wanted to do but didn't get very far after that.

He had lunched himself out onto the street, ridding himself of that small enclosure but the vampires were quick to act like always and were now surrounding him in the middle of the street.

"What was that supposed to be? You know as well as I that you aren't getting out of this one mutt." The buff one stated, his face showed something along the lines of 'are you stupid?' He gave a look around the surroundings. "Besides, aren't you guys supposed to run around in packs or something? Where's your pack mate huh? Did he leave you to fend for yourself?"

Kise knew it was supposed to make him angry. They were probably trying to get a ruse out of him so that he would transform. But Kise saw a shift of movement behind their leader and he couldn't help a smirk from forming on his face. "Actually," he started.

Too fast for the average human to comprehend, a blur rushed from the shadows and before any of them could move a muscle, it flung itself at the leader. There was a glint in the air as a blade was brought down on his back and the leader could only stand there, not realizing what happened. But soon after a spurt of blood gushed from the new wound and he fell to his knees, a shocked expression clearly etched into his face. A gurgling sound emitted from his lips as he fell face down onto the ground. Blood heavily poured from the deep gash located near an artery.

Standing behind him with a satisfied smirk was none other than Aomine Daiki. His eyes blazed with adrenaline and his stance was cocky as he flipped the blade around in his hand before placing it on his shoulder. "Did I miss anything?" he asked and strolled over to Kise with an infectious grin. The other vampires looked warily at the bluenette and backed away.

Kise, with a grin of his own, rolled his eyes and huffed a puff of air. "When do you ever get here on time?" he replied and would have slapped him but he was reminded of the boy in his arms. His sudden motion had begun to arouse the teen and Kise could see a few contorted expressions here and there and his eyes rolled around under his eyelids. He would wake soon.

"Oi, who's the kid?" Aomine questioned and studied the stirring bluenette. He seemed familiar to him for some reason. He snapped his fingers when he realized who it was. "Hey I know him!" the bluenette exclaimed as he pointed to the lithe phantom player. "I saw him at the basketb-"

"Enough of this." a gasp interrupted Aomine from the ground.

Aomine let his gaze drift lazily over to the struggling vampire trying to get to his feet and snorted in amusement. "What? Are you upset that I ruined your finesse leech?" Aomine spat out harshly. Why couldn't those damn leeches stay down?!

"I'm tired of these games. We finish this now." The ravenette stated with a feral growl. "Shion! Nataru!" the others nodded their head and they each rushed forward, no longer needing to hold back.

Aomine didn't even get to make a noise of surprise before they were already on top of them. He reared his blade back and let it come down in a sweeping motion at the snarling form of Ryuga. But he wasn't fast enough in this form and the vampire easily evaded the attack and spun around to face him from behind. _Shit! _Aomine clenched his teeth trying to turn his body fast enough to block the oncoming attack but he was too slow. He only got to spin around a few inches before Ryuga's hand pierced through his skin inches away from his heart.

Aomine bit back a yelp and growled as he continued with his momentum and spun around with his blade. Ryuga, not expecting the werewolf to be so bold, was surprised when the mongrel didn't stop and rammed his weapon straight through his chest. He stood there, surprised that the werewolf had gotten the drop on him again. He coughed up blood but smiled at the mutt with red fangs.

"You missed."

Kise stumbled back when the two vampires had rushed him, their hisses filling his sensitive ears. He tripped over his own foot resulting in him and the teen in his arms to go sprawling over the ground. He held the bluenette close to him, careful as to not have his head hit the ground again and landed on his back. The air was knocked out of his lungs but he quickly shook it off and stood up, leaving the partially awake teen on the street.

"Hey, this isn't fair." Kise started as he pulled a small switchblade from out of his pocket and shifted into a defensive stance. He watched as the two vampires circled him, their feral expressions intimidating as they waited for the right moment to strike. He stifled a chuckle at them but couldn't help the smile from forming on his face.

"What are you laughing at?" Nataru asked annoyed by the idiocy the blonde displayed.

"Sorry, sorry." Kise chortled. "I just hope your guys' faces don't freeze that way."

Nataru, offended by his words, lost his control and pushed forward to wipe the stupid smirk off his face. Kise smiled to himself. _Too easy. _He glanced down at the bluenette one more time before launching himself to meet the vampire halfway. He ducked underneath the first blow and drove his knife into the chest of the small vampire before turning to face the approaching Shion.

Kuroko stifled a groan, unaware of his surroundings. His body throbbed everywhere and even without opening his eyes he knew that he had a rather large headache. He sucked in a breath and wheezed in distress when he found that even breathing hurt to do. He twitched his fingers a bit, the only thing that appeared to be easily accomplished without too much pain. He brushed his hand along the surface he was on, trying to determine what he was laying on that was so cold to the touch. _The street? _Had the lunatics decided they had enough of playing with him and left him there? _How decent of them._

Kuroko lifted his hands to shove himself sluggishly onto his side and used his elbows to push his body into a semi-upright position. He still hadn't opened up his eyes, in fear of whatever he may see on the other side of his eyelids. Had he passed out? He tried to remember the last thing that had happened. He thought he had seen a golden light but he must have been imagining it. If he had passed out then for how long? He knew that he had lost a dangerous amount of blood, so it wasn't any surprise to him that he fell unconscious.

He brought his hand to rub at the back of his neck gingerly only to pull it back with a grimace on his face. There was still blood on his skin. It was dry now though and he looked forward for a shower as soon as possible. Kuroko was about to lay back down but an anguished scream cut into his senses without mercy. It rung in his ears and it took him a moment to comprehend the fact that it had sounded from only a few meters away. The bluenette, having enough of being blind, braced himself and opened his eyes.

The light burned his sensitive eyes and seemed to make his pounding headache ten times worse. It only took a few seconds however, before Kuroko could see clearly. He lay there, unable to move as a battle was fought not even a few feet away from him. Well…he thought it was a battle, he wasn't too sure honestly. The way they moved was too fast for him to see, of course that could be because he had just gone through some traumatic injuries but he was sure that wasn't it.

He recognized the three vampires from earlier but the other two were a mystery to him. They fought the vampires without any fear in their expressions and almost evenly matched them blow for blow. _Are they vampires too?_ He wondered. But as the battle continued he noticed that they were actually much slower than the vampires but their skills in battle easily made up for the things they lacked. Kuroko would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. The two seemed to glide between the vampires, easily dodging their blows like a coordinated dance.

The blonde haired one spun away from a jab at his stomach and Kuroko got the chance to look into his eyes. His eyes widened. It was the one from before! The one who saved him from the deadly trio. Kuroko felt a little chagrinned. Not only did he do that but now he's fighting for his life, probably to save Kuroko's own life…again. He sighed to himself but winced at the strained action. It's not like he wasn't thankful or anything, but he didn't like the feeling of owing someone, especially since he owes him his life, two times over.

Kise grinned a little when he saw the bluenette awake from across the street. It was about time! He whirled around Shion's attempt to grab him and elbowed him in the jaw forcing the other's head back. Kise took this chance to take the other down and place his foot behind him, using all his force to drive the small blade into his chest cavity, piercing his heart. Shion made a strangled cough as blood rushed out of his mouth and dribbled down his chin. Kise yanked the knife out as the body fell and hurriedly made his way to the teen, making sure to wipe the blood away from his knife before tucking it back into his pants.

He carefully came closer and squatted down to the other's height so as to seem friendlier. _Ah, who am I kidding? I just killed two people without a second thought. _He admitted sheepishly. _He probably thinks I'm some kind of monster. _Kise frowned. Well he wasn't too far off from that one.

"Um…thank you?"

Kise was jerked from his thoughts and he quickly retained his grin again and focused his attention to the wobbly teen who was trying to sit up. He gently placed his hand on his arm, helping the lithe teen till he was sitting with his legs spread out in front of him.

"No problem. It's our job to save people from parasites like them." Kise jerked his head in the direction of the vampires. The blonde copy-cat rubbed his hands together nervously when all the bluenette did was give him a blank stare. How was he supposed to comfort somebody who almost had their head ripped off? Kise fought and killed vampires on a regular bases but compassion wasn't something he was too familiar with. "Uh, my name's Kise." He introduced himself upon finding nothing else to say. "Kise Ryouta."

Kuroko addressed the hand that was held out before him questionably before taking it in his own. "Kuroko Tetsuya." He replied curtly. "Nice to meet you Kise."

"I'm Aomine Daiki." A voice declared up from behind them. Kuroko shifted his eyes to the dark skinned teenager standing behind Kise. His arms were crossed and he had a small smirk etched into his face. He would have seemed normal at first but when Kuroko glanced down he noticed the gaping wound in his side. It looked extremely painful as it gushed blood and dripped into a puddle forming at his feet. _How is he still standing?_ He asked himself flabbergasted. He studied his facial expressions for a moment until he remembered why he looked so familiar to him.

"I remember you." Kuroko spoke up, speaking more to himself than anything. "You bumped into me and made me fall at the basketball game earlier." He clarified when Kise gave him a confused look. "You were quite rude." Kise narrowed his eyes at the other and gave Aomine an expression that all but yelled to apologize to him.

"Ha ha, look I'm sorry about that. No hard feelings okay?" Aomine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. His grin disappeared though when he glanced around them and to the corpses littering the ground. "Look, are we going to stand around here all day or are we going to get moving?" Aomine piqued as he turned around to begin pulling the bodies into a pile. "I'm pretty sure that the police will be here after hearing all that ruckus so we better be gone by then."

Kise nodded his head in agreement and turned to face Kuroko. "Can I pick you up?" he asked hesitantly. Kuroko gave him a look before asking why. "Well you obviously can't walk right now so this is the only other way. Unless you want us to leave you here for the police to find you?" he asked with a smile. That seemed to do the trick and Kuroko nodded his head suddenly feeling too tired to speak.

Kise hefted the small phantom player onto his back and made sure his arms and legs were secured around him before turning around to face Aomine. The bluenette was squatting near the corpses and Kuroko squinted his eyes at him trying to figure just what the dark skinned teen was doing. A few seconds later there was a burst of light and the pile erupted into bright flames, lighting the dark street around it. Aomine looked a bit melancholic as his frame was illuminated by the flickering flames. But the second he turned to look at them his face returned to its usual cocky smirk. Kuroko dismissed the expression as an illusion of the light.

"So where to?" Aomine spoke up as he strolled to their side. He placed his hands in his pocket and stood beside the two waiting for an answer. It took Kuroko a minute to realize he was talking to him.

"What do you mean 'where to?'" Kuroko questioned and he felt Kise chuckle underneath him.

"He means where your house is. I have no doubt that you want to return home so we'll take you there." Kise explained to him. From the way his shoulders shook Kuroko could tell the other was laughing at him. Feeling a frown mar his expression at being laughed at Kuroko pointed to the right.

"Down that way." Was all he said.

"Well then 'that way' we'll go." And with that the three headed down the road to Kuroko's house.

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**Please tell me if you find any typos and I will make sure to fix them. Don't forget to review! **


	3. Chapter 3: The Quiet Before the Storm

**Hello! New chapter. I didn't have time to proofread this one so if any of you find grammar errors please tell me. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3: The Quiet Before the Storm **

Kuroko was beginning to feel nausea overtake his stomach. He didn't mind it at first, the sudden queasy feeling was nothing compared to what his head was going through. It was small at first, like a tiny nudge in his stomach but as they continued to walk Kuroko was finding it to be harder and harder to ignore as the sensation grew. They had only made it a few streets from the scene and the bluenette couldn't stop the nauseous gag escape his lips from the churning his stomach was creating.

It was no surprise to him when the queasiness started. He figured it was the inevitable from all the stress his body and mind went through. On that note, Kuroko was a bit baffled on how he wasn't breaking down right now. He thought that any other person would have screamed their lungs out by now. Maybe it was the constant throbbing of pain that kept his mind away from the previous events. He was sure that if he were to think about this later he would freak out. But now wasn't the time.

Not only that, but he was also willingly going along with strangers he didn't even know; people who had just showed they weren't even human and had killed three people without blinking. Nothing made sense to him anymore, he realized. He had just seen something that only existed in fairytales and was caught right in the middle. He sighed to himself; he might as well go along with it.

Kuroko was on high alert, well…as high alert as someone who looked to be drugged. His body was too worn to do much on its own. It was an accomplishment in itself for him to be able to hold onto Kise's back. He had lied his head down on the blonde's shoulder, facing in the direction that Aomine was in. With having nothing else to look at, Kuroko watched the dark bluenette as they headed to the phantom player's house.

It was a mystery to him. Kuroko could only gape astonished as to how the blue eyed male could walk without a care in the world when there was an obvious gaping wound in his side. He was tempted to ask him about it. It worried him when the wound didn't look to stop bleeding any time soon. It spurted the red liquid in a never ending river down his chest and his clothes were thoroughly soaked on his right side.

He watched as the stream slowly started to lessen until it stop the flowing of blood altogether. Then, to his bewilderment, the opening in his chest gradually began to close. Kuroko never took his eyes off the gap as it slowly mended itself back together. The tendons and muscles were first. They stretched to meet each other in the center of the hole before mending themselves together like they were never separated in the first place. Then came the skin. It slid over the expanse of the exposed muscles and stitched itself back, leaving behind a faint scar. But even that faded behind and perfectly smooth skin remained, as if it were never touched.

Aomine caught him staring and smirked at the flabbergasted expression the short high school student held. "I guess I should have expected that reaction out of you." Aomine stated as he turned his eyes back to the road ahead of them. "I mean, you did just get introduced to all this supernatural stuff. I bet you have no idea what we are, do you?" Aomine asked with a knowing grin.

Was Kuroko's face that easy for the dark bluenette to read? The phantom player was well known for being stoic and pokerfaced through anything that was thrown at him. But it was like this guy could read him like an open book without even trying. Kuroko shifted uncomfortably on Kise's back.

"No I don't." was all he said, not wanting to give anything else away. They evidently weren't vampires. When he watched them fight the other ones their speed was way too slow in comparison and their strength lacked in certain areas. Apparently that didn't stop them from charging head on into the fight. The vampires might have been superior in physical qualities but the duo was clearly more experienced in their own combat skills.

However, their healing abilities were uncanny and unlike any other. They had amazing reflexes from what Kuroko could tell. But other than that, nothing came to mind when he tried to match a supernatural creature with them. Perhaps they hadn't shown everything they could do; some special ability that all supernatural beings seemed to have.

"How about we give you a hint?" Kise's voice traveled from below Kuroko and vibrated through his skull. He winced a bit at the unpleasant throb sent through his head. "I would like to see you guess on your own." He continued, as if asking people to guess their supernatural race was an everyday occurrence.

Kuroko was a little annoyed by their suggestion. He hated playing guessing games. Why stall the inevitable and make the person guess when you already have the mindset to tell them? It was little ploys like these that got on the bluentte's nerves, but nonetheless he sighed and waited expectantly for their first clue.

"This one should be pretty obvious." Aomine continued with the game and looked up thoughtfully to the heavy clouds in the sky. "We are the number one rival to the bloodsucking parasites." He said shortly. The hint was indeed blunt and to the point. If anyone knew about the infamous vampires then they most likely have heard about the wolves that always seemed to be snapping at their heels.

Kuroko studied the two in front of him. They didn't seem like they would be werewolves. Of course those vampires didn't seem to be parasitical leeches at first glance either. They appeared almost too normal. It was no wonder that the supernatural was able to blend in so easily with humanity. But then again, as Kuroko considered the way they walked he could see that the werewolves moved with much more grace than the average human. And when he saw Aomine smile again, he caught the glimpse of larger than average incisors. He thought back to when he saw their hands and noted that even their fingernails were slightly longer and pointed at their ends.

Kuroko was yanked from his thoughts when he heard Aomine snap his fingers in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"Hey, you still there?" he asked a bit teasingly though his face held a look of worry.

"Don't be so mean Aominecchi!" Kise exclaimed and Kuroko felt the other shift in aggravation. "He did just go through a traumatizing experience after all." The blonde tried to reason for Kuroko's lack of response. Kuroko knew he was trying to help him but couldn't help but feel a little insulted by his words. He already figured out what they were, he was just trying to see how something could look so normal.

Kuroko pulled his lips into a frown and raised his hand slightly to push Aomine's hand away from his face. "You're werewolves." He stated without hesitance.

Aomine grinned. "That's the one."

Kuroko wanted to ask were their tails and ears were then, but refrained from the offending question. He didn't want to make them angry. He knew that he couldn't walk that well right now and these werewolves were the only way home. He sighed to himself. He should probably be nicer to them. They did save his life after all. Not only that but they also offered to take him home without him even asking. And all Kuroko could do was throw jabs at them in his head. He turned his gaze back to the road and when he saw the familiar café at the end of the street he pointed to the right at the end.

"My house is just down that road on the left." he told them and secured his arm back around Kise's neck.

Kise took in his surroundings and marveled at all the expensive looking buildings around. It may have been in the city but even he knew how to recognize high class apartments. Was the little bluenette rich or something? He mentally shrugged his shoulders and followed in the direction that the phantom player pointed in, a few buildings over and Kuroko lead them to the entrance of a tall apartment building. The apartment was built out of light grey stone with intricate designs engraved in them and large windows framing the floors from top to bottom and had huge trees decorating its sides. There were two potted plants placed next to the double door at its entrance.

"You never told me you were loaded!" Aomine exclaimed as he took in the extravagant building in front of them. He had to lean his head all the way back to try and see the top and even then he could barely catch a glimpse of the roof.

Kuroko shifted uncomfortably in Kise's hold. "You never asked." He replied curtly.

"Well let's go in." Kise urged impatiently at Aomine who was blocking the door.

Aomine gave a sheepish twitch of his lips before rushing to the door and opening it for the two to walk in. The inside was just as majestic as the outside. The floors were covered in marble and the high ceilings were adorned with low hanging chandeliers. The walls were painted a cream color and had paintings of landscapes placed on them. The place practically screamed expensive.

"Kuroko-san!" a gasp was heard from behind them, stopping the two short. Kise and Aomine gave wary looks at each other before turning around to face the voice. It was the apartment's receptionist. He was dressed in a primped black suit and had his hair slicked back in a messy yet formal style. His hands were covered by white gloves and he squeezed his hands nervously when the two werewolves narrowed their intimidating gazes at him. "Uh-um…are you feeling okay?" he asked quietly, concerned for the little bluenette. "Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Aomine was about to tell the other off but a hand on his arm by Kuroko made him pause. Kuroko lifted his head slightly off of Kise's shoulder to look in the receptionist's eyes.

"I'm okay Daisuke-san." Kuroko mumbled with tired eyes. "I'm just a bit worn and could use a good night's rest." He explained to the fretting man. "I'll see you tomorrow." He told him with no room for argument.

Daisuke didn't look like he wanted to let them go but nodded his head anyways and showed them to the elevator. He pressed the top button and stood in front of the doors. "Your parents called me today." He began, sorrow lacing his voice. "They asked me to tell you that their trip will be another few weeks before they can make it home." And with that the door closed and Daisuke vanished from sight.

Kise shifted his stance and turned his head to give Aomine a questioning look. Aomine shrugged his shoulders and they waited for the bell to signal the end of the trip. Aomine stared as the numbers to the floors didn't stop. They seemed to go on and on, never ending. _Damn! Does he live on the top floor or something?_ Aomine wondered to himself. He chuckled a bit at the thought. There was no way that the little kid was not only rich but also lived in the penthouse of the building.

But Aomine found himself gaping in disbelief when the numbers finally landed on floor 35, the last floor of the apartments. The elevator gave a ding and opened its doors to the long hallway waiting before them. Kise and Aomine gave a look before trudging to the door that was at the end of the white hall. Kise felt Kuroko dig in his pockets before handing Aomine the keys to the door. Aomine pushed the keys into the lock and turned the metal until there was an audible click from the latch. He pulled the keys out and pushed the door open.

Kise wanted to say that the room was just as beautiful as the ground floor downstairs but he would be lying through his teeth. Yes, the place was still glorious in its own way, if you can call a room that seemed to have no characterization elegant. The main room's colors mostly consisted of grey, white and blue. Everything was mechanically placed like it was a model home or something. The only signs that someone lived there were the textbooks and scattered pieces of paper that littered the coffee table in the living room, the only imperfection in the area.

Everything was too bland. Like a harsh mixture of black and white. Kise didn't like it. _How could someone live in someplace so empty?_ He mused to himself as he made his way to the black couch and placed the tired bluenette on it. Kuroko sighed in content as he was placed on his familiar sofa, glad to finally be home.

"Do you need anything before we go?" Kise asked him concerned for Kuroko's wellbeing. Kuroko leaned his head back on the couch and let out a breath of air.

"Could you get me a wet washcloth?" he asked quietly and closed his eyes. "I don't have enough energy to take a shower."

Kise nodded his head and looked around for the kitchen. He went down a hallway, leaving Aomine, who was looking out the windows that took up the whole wall, and Kuroko. The flat was open and had few doors that led to the main rooms, making everything connected together. So it wasn't hard for the blonde to locate the kitchen. He walked around the stainless steel counters and appliances, checking the drawers for any rags he could use. When he found a drawer filled with them he took out a green one and rinsed it under warm water, soaking the cloth. He wrung it out till it was left partially wet and headed back to the living room.

"Here you go." Kise said as he kneeled down next to Kuroko and held out the wet rag. Kuroko took it with an almost inaudible thanks and started to unbutton his coat. His hands were shaky as he took off the clothing. He grunted with the effort and Aomine and Kise frowned as they listened to the strain Kuroko went through just to remove a few articles of clothing. Kise leaned on his knees, folded his hands together and placed his head on them while Aomine clenched his hands into fists and stared down at the city below. It made them angry that vampires could do something so monstrous.

When he was left with his button up shirt after peeling off his two jackets Kuroko tossed his clothes down on the ground halfheartedly and picked up the rag beside him. He brought it to his face and proceeded to wipe off all the dirt, grime, and blood that was smeared on it. It was a long and tiring process for the boy stricken by fatigue. He gently rubbed the warm cloth over his cheeks; careful to any scratches as to not make them sting. His blue eyes searched for his clock that was placed over on the wall and read that it was 1:43 A.M. Had all that happened in such a short amount of time? The last time he looked at a clock was at the basketball court, at that time it had been a little past eleven.

He rubbed his other hand across his face, searching for any spots that he might have missed before reaching delicately around his neck to clean off the thick blood that was left from his head wound. The awkward movement sent a sharp throb down his shoulder blade and Kuroko let a gasp of pain escape his lips as he pulled his arm back down. He must be severely bruised along his back and shoulders.

Kise reached over from across the couch and grabbed the bloody cloth from Kuroko's hands. "Here, let me do it." He offered with a shy expression. He didn't want the other to get offended by his suggestion so Kise waited patiently for Kuroko's answer. To his surprise the teen nodded his head and leaned down so Kise could have better access to his neck. He was about to clean the blood but a small ring from his pocket alerted him that someone was calling him.

His eyes glanced over to Aomine and the dark bluenette shook his head in understanding as he came around the couch to take Kise's spot. The blonde copycat handed him the washrag as he stood up and headed over to the hallway for privacy. There was only one person who would be calling him at this time. Kise reached into his pocket and pulled out the cellphone to read the caller I.D.

Akashi Seijūrō.

Kise drew in a breath as he clicked on the answer call button. "Hello?" Was all he said.

"_Ryouta, it has come to my attention that both you Aomine have past protocol and have not called in to update your status. Please tell me why that is."_ A cold voice filled Kise's ear and the blonde had to force himself from gulping at the harsh tone. The Alpha was angry and he's going to pay hell for it.

"Ah-you see…um," Kise stumbled over his words as he tried to find the best way to present his situation to their alpha.

"_Tell me." _

Kise closed his eyes and leaned heavily on the wall behind him. "We found the vampires that you wanted. I tracked them to see where their colony is but was met with something unexpected. The vampires had chased down a teenager and were going to injure him. I confronted them and-"

"_You did what?"_ blasted through the speaker of his phone and Kise almost whimpered at the tone in his alpha's voice. _"Had I not given you specific orders to track them and remain hidden so that we could find out where their colony is?"_

"Yes but I-"

"_No excuses Ryouta. You have failed at this mission. We will discuss your and Aomine's punishments when you have returned home."_ Kise could tell that Akashi was about to hang up and he jerked from the wall, waving his hand out in front of him even though the alpha couldn't see it.

"Wait! We saved the boy!" he exclaimed without thinking.

"_Explain."_ Was all that he heard in reply.

Kise pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a puff of air. "His name is Kuroko Tetsuya. He is a victim of a vampire attack and I saved him before they could kidnap him, but was soon confronted by them afterwards. They attacked us. Aomine and I had no choice but to protect ourselves. The three targets were killed and the boy was left beaten and in critical condition. We brought him to his house which is where we reside now."

Kise was met with silence from the other line. The copycat bit his lip and fidgeted in his spot. The only reason he was alive right now was probably because they were separated from the phone. If they were in the same room, Kise had no doubt that the red haired male would have ripped his head off.

"_Bring this Kuroko Tetsuya with you."_ Was Akashi's sharp reply. Kise widened his eyes. Had he heard that right?

"What?" he asked hesitantly thinking he had heard wrong. It was unlike his alpha to request to see someone so quickly.

"_Bring Kuroko Tetsuya with you. I would like to have a few words regarding his situation. I will be expecting you within the next hour." _

"But we can't do that!" Kise exclaimed in protest. Didn't Akashi hear when he had said that the small bluenette was in critical condition? The poor teen wasn't even able to move by himself let alone walk to their house. What Kuroko needed right now was a good night's rest and some ice for his bruises. He had gone through enough traumatic stress for one night.

"_Why not?" _

Kise flinched and placed his gaze on the ground at the commanding tone his alpha's voice contained. Even if he wasn't there, Kise couldn't ignore the instinctual habits of avoiding the alpha's stare. He shuffled his feet on the ground nervously.

"Kuroko is… unable to perform any strenuous activity right now. I think it would be best if he were to rest before we return." Responded Kise tentatively, rubbing the back of his head in apprehension. A few seconds of silenced passed before Kise heard his alpha's voice float through the speaker.

"_Very well." _

Kise practically fell in a puddle of relief at his understanding words.

"_But I expect you in the morning tomorrow with a detailed report on tonight's events. Am I understood?" _

Kise straightened his back and formed a serious expression on his face. "Yes Akashi-sama." After he spoke the phone beeped as the call ended. Kise stood there quivering a bit as a relieved smile shakily made its way on his face. He thought he was going to die during that conversation. But the alpha didn't even make one death threat to him. Kise slid down the wall with a heaving sigh. _Well, it's not good to get your hopes up high_. He thought to himself with a gulp. _Because there's always those extra training regiments he makes us do. _

Aomine was a bit hesitant when he had sat down next to the fragile looking bluenette. Aomine regarded Kuroko with a concerned expression as the bluenette looked ready to drop dead with his drooping eyes and exhausted expression. The high school student was leaning down, not having the strength to keep his head upright and the position allowed Aomine to see all the blood patches that were scattered on the white flannel the pale teen wore. The blood had long since dried and was left as a nasty shade of brown on his clothing. The dark skinned teenager glanced down at his own attire which was obscured in blood. He made a dismayed sound with a click of his tongue. _This was my favorite jacket too. _

Aomine disregarded the clothing and concentrated on the task at hand. Kuroko's entire neck was covered in blood and the dried liquid had run down his spine creating a streak of red down the middle of his shirt. It wrapped around his shoulders and trailed down his collarbone. _Tch, he must have bled at least two pints. _Aomine thought to himself as he brought the rag up to wipe at the sticky substance. It was somewhat difficult to do. The dark bluenette could only clean so much before he would have to start roughly scrubbing to get the substance off.

So Aomine did what he could and carefully wiped away the blood. When he got to the base of his neck Aomine's eyes flickered up to the gash partially hidden in the mess of tangled hair. It wasn't too deep but it was long as it ran from the base of his hair line to the middle of his skull. Aomine could tell that the phantom player would need to get stiches. Unfortunately they didn't have the medic with them. Aomine narrowed his eyes at the irony. _Like I said before, they would have been much better suited for this task. _

Kuroko sat still as he felt Aomine's hands on him. He knew the werewolf was trying to be as gentle as he could but any touch to his abused neck and head made his muscles twitch in discomfort. The slightest touch was enough to make the young bluenette flinch and Kuroko closed his eyes and endured the pain silently. He really wished that he could take a shower. But when he imagined what the water and soap would feel like on all his new wounds, he decided that a shower could wait for the time being.

"So where are your parents anyway?" the sudden question invaded the silence, making Kuroko blink his eyes in confusion.

His parents? The curious question made his thoughts return to what Daisuke had told him earlier. His family was going to be gone later than what they had anticipated. Everything was okay though, that usually happened and Kuroko didn't get to see them much nowadays anyway. But Kuroko still felt that small pang of hurt whenever those words fell from the receptionist's lips. It was almost normal now, having Daisuke come to tell him that his parents would be gone for a few extra weeks. Kuroko felt a twitch of sardonic mirth fall on his lips. They couldn't even call him to tell him that themselves.

Maybe they were just afraid to confront their only son. Perhaps they realized the neglect they've been doing to him over the years and have come to the conclusion that it was far too late to try and make things better. That hiding behind long business trips and extended schedules were able to prevent the inexorable? Maybe they thought that avoiding their son had made it to where he hated them, and they were afraid to face him about it. Did they think him that heartless?

He tried to not let Daisuke's words get to him. He should really be used to it by now. They were never really around in the first place so why should it matter? They always said they were too busy with work or something had come up leaving Kuroko behind all alone. They had missed the special days, like Kuroko joining his first basketball team, winning one of his tournaments for the first time, even his birthday didn't seem all that important to them anymore. He couldn't remember the last time they had gone out to do something together like a normal family. He didn't really seem to know who they were anymore. They were strangers to him.

So why did it have to hurt so much?

Every day when Kuroko woke up to an empty house there was this void in his chest. Weren't kids his age supposed to wake up to their mother's voice telling them to get ready for school? Or the smell of breakfast cooking as they made their way to the kitchen? Hear their mother's nagging questions, checking if they forgot their lunch for the day as they walked out the door? What about coming home after a long day at school to a warm house and the smiling faces of their parents as they sat down to eat and talk about their days? Kuroko wanted to know how that felt.

"There, all done." Aomine said proudly, startling Kuroko from his thoughts. The dark skinned male showed Kuroko the cloth that was stained by his blood. "I got as much as I could. The rest is going to have to be washed off with soap."

Kuroko brought his hand to the back of his neck and relished in the fact that most of the foul substance was gone from his skin. It was a relief to be able to feel the air on his bare skin again and knowing that the blood was gone. Like washing away all the evidence proved that the vampire's existence wasn't real. Now all he had to do is change out of his clothes and he'll be able to sleep comfortably.

"Thank you Aomine-kun." Kuroko said gratefully. He sighed in content and leaned back against the couch closing his eyes in peace for a moment.

Aomine threw the dirty rag onto the coffee table. "No problem." He replied nonchalantly as he leaned back on the sofa as well. They rested there for a few minutes, listening as the sky rolled with thunder and the first few raindrops showered the windows. Soon footsteps sounded as Kise came back into the room. He gave an exaggerated sigh as he landed on the couch from across them.

"I thought I was going to die." He pathetically wailed sounding like he had just gone to hell and back.

Aomine peeked an eye open to give the blonde an annoyed stare for interrupting his nap. "Hearing your voice makes me wish that you had." The dark bluenette griped.

Kise gasped disbelievingly at the werewolf's words. "Aominecchi, you don't really mean that do you?!" he cried as he sat up from the black sofa to look at the frowning male.

"Tch." Was all Aomine said not wanting to deal with the overactive blonde's antics. He knew the copycat would know that he was joking with him. "I heard your conversation with the Leader. I guess we should make ourselves comfortable then?" Aomine changed the subject. Kuroko opened his eyes to give a questioning glace to the tall bluenette.

"What?" Kuroko croaked unable to say anything more, almost coughing at the way his throat scratched with the effort as he turned to look at Kise. Kise sat down properly on the couch and folded his hands together as he regarded the fatigued stricken teen with curiosity. Kuroko felt uncomfortable under the other's stare, not liking the way he studied him as if he were an animal. "Make yourselves comfortable?" Kuroko asked again.

"Our leader just called me." Kise started and leaned back on the sofa releasing a long breath of air as he crossed his arms. "I told him what happened and he wants to meet you. So we are to bring you to him tomorrow morning. With or without your consent." The young wolf added the last part when he saw a frown form on the teen's face.

"So it looks like we are going to have to crash at your place tonight Tetsu." Aomine mumbled looking as if he were already half asleep beside Kuroko. A few light snores drifted from the dark bluenette's lips a few seconds later as his body fell slack and he passed out.

"Tetsu?" Kuroko murmured to himself, brows furrowing at the new name. He watched silently as the taller teen stretched in his sleep before going still.

Kise gave a small snort from his place on the other couch with a small smile. He shook his head at his exhausted pack mate before following suit and laying down on the loveseat and resting his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Kuroko sat there blinking his eyes at the incredulity of it all. He let out a breath of his own and lay his head gently down on the armrest of the couch, closing his own eyes and curling his body into a ball. He'll deal with all of this tomorrow he told himself. And with that, Kuroko fell asleep in his living room with two things he thought never existed. Hopefully werewolves didn't snore loud.

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Kise knew that they had slept for much longer than necessary. He could tell when the light from the windows started to fall on his eyelids and burned his sensitive eyes, indicating that the sun was high enough to shine over the tops of the taller buildings. But Kise couldn't find it in himself to move, the warmth the light gave off felt nice and inviting so Kise lay there and lazily threw an arm over his face to cover his eyes. Everything was at bliss for the young werewolf and he wanted to get as much rest as he could before heading off to face his more-than-likely furious alpha.

So the blonde wolf lay there without a care in the world trying to fall back asleep. He almost drifted back to sleep but a horrible gagging sound started and pulled the teen back to the land of the living. Kise sat up with a start looking around wildly when he came face to face with unfamiliar surroundings. He blinked a few times, beginning to remember last night's events and wiped the sleepiness from his eyes. They were still at Kuroko's and one glance at the clock on the wall told him that he was in for a world of pain when he got back home.

Another series of retching noises filled the air again, rousing Aomine from his sleep. When Kise looked over to the bluenette's couch he found that Kuroko was missing. He got up quickly, ignoring the confused look Aomine had when he rushed in the direction the sounds were coming from. It was no surprise to him. Kise knew that the small teen would have thrown up sooner or later. And he wasn't shocked when he came to the bathroom to see the blue eyed phantom kneeling over a toilet, empting out his stomach.

The door was ajar and along the way through the hall things were tipped over, indicating that he must have ran to make it but was too drowsy to evade the obstacles in the way. He probably woke up to the nauseous feeling. Kise frowned a bit to himself as he watched the smaller teen, why was it that he hadn't woken up? Kuroko must have made a lot of noise trying to get to the bathroom, Kise is a light sleeper; he should have woken up when Kuroko was just starting to climb off of the couch. He shook his head. Maybe he was just too tired last night.

Kuroko sat there, heaving large breaths of air. The bile flavor left a nasty taste on his tongue and the bluenette refrained from grimacing in revulsion from the foul substance. His body trembled in fatigued and sweat laced his skin, trickling down his temples. He felt cold though and shivers racked his spine in a terrible way as if claws were tearing down his backbone, peeling the flesh from his bone. Kuroko wheezed and the movement of his core muscles made his breath hitch in pain. There was no doubt that he was coming down with something.

Kuroko moaned, having enough of everything and just wanting it to end. Why did he have to be the unfortunate soul to be targeted by those vampires? Kuroko couldn't recall ever doing anything in his life to deserve something like that. Not only did he get tormented by things of fairytales but now he is suffering from a fever produced by the many wounds littering his lithe body. He wouldn't be surprised to find out that he was also dealing with an infection somewhere. Kuroko stayed silent though, as his body was burdened by the effects of a fever induced by infection and sat motionless on the cold floor, not having the energy anymore.

"We need to hurry." A voice came from above him. Kuroko carefully lifted his head to see Kise staring down at him worriedly. He kneeled down beside him and placed his hand on his back to steady the swaying teen. "We have a medic at our place. He could fix you up." Kise murmured gently to Kuroko, afraid that if he spoke too loud he would hurt the smaller bluenette. Kuroko could only nod his head in understanding.

The phantom player shakily made his way onto his feet, flushing the toilet beside him before heading towards his room. Kise made a sound of protest, not wanting the bluenette to walk on his own so soon, but Kuroko held up his hand with a quiet 'I'm fine" to keep the concerned blonde at bay. Kise followed after the brunette anyways just to keep an eye on him as the two made their way down the hall to what the golden eyed blonde presumed to be the smaller teen's bedroom.

Kuroko trailed his hand along the gray walls, steadying himself along the journey, determined to make it to his room without anyone's help. He knew the blonde teen only meant well, but Kuroko was getting a bit annoyed at his almost nagging habits. Kuroko wasn't some weak child! He could take care of himself. _Besides, Kise has done enough for me. _Kuroko thought to himself. Feeling relieved when the door to his bedroom came into view, Kuroko stumbled to the doorknob and twisted it to open the white door.

His room was different from the others. As you stepped into the average sized room you could tell that it was unlike the other lifeless rooms the flat held. There were little knickknacks and souvenir objects that were placed around the room. Some had names of other countries written on them, making it seem like Kuroko had gone to those places. And some pictures littered the painted blue walls, each filled with the smiling faces of Kuroko and other people Kise didn't know about. Kuroko was rather young in them, but he was standing beside two people in each. _Are these his parents? _Kise wondered as he studied a picture that was close to him.

Kuroko looked to be about five or six years old. They were at one of the yearly festivals that happened in Japan. Lighted lanterns and a busy crowd filled the background behind them and a few fireworks had just exploded, showing sparks of red forever frozen in time in the dark sky. He was smiling as he held out a goldfish encased in a plastic bag probably having won it at a goldfish catching booth. Kise couldn't help but smile himself when he saw Kuroko's grin missing a few front teeth leaving a gap filled mouth. Kise's gaze shifted over to the man kneeling beside the blue eyed child. He had one arm wrapped around Kuroko and a thumbs up was shown at the camera as he held a toothy grin of his own. His eyes were just as blue as the child beside him indicating that he was probably his father. He looked like an older version of what Kuroko did now and if it wasn't for his brown hair, the two would have looked almost the same.

Kuroko had just pulled on some new clothes and when he turned around he found Kise looking at all the pictures framing his wall. The blonde had a stupid grin on his face as he viewed the photographs of Kuroko's earlier life. Kuroko walked up to stand beside the taller teen and regarded the picture he was currently looking at. It was one he had taken when he and his parents were traveling the states in North America. He was around seven at the time and his family decided that they were going to take a trip to Disneyland that day. So the picture had a view of the castle behind him as he posed with his arms out wide, a childish grin planted on his face.

Kuroko let a small smile form on his lips. Looking at the picture made a longing sense of nostalgia creep up his spine. How he missed those days. Back before his parents got too absorbed in their jobs, the three had often traveled the world experiencing as much as they could. Kuroko could never get enough of seeing all the different countries and cultures at that age. It was amazing to see just how big the world was. At that time, life seemed so perfect to the little bluenette. If only it had lasted for a bit longer. _But everything eventually comes to an end. _Kuroko frowned.

"Come on, let's go." A voice interrupted the silence. The two looked over to see Aomine leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. "The leader's going to be pissed no doubt." He stated with a yawn. Kise nodded his head and left the room. Aomine watched Kuroko curiously for a moment before giving his head a shake and offering the smaller bluenette a roll of bandages. "It would probably be best if you were to bandage that up before we leave." He said, pointing to the gash hidden behind Kuroko's hair.

Kuroko took the roll gratefully and followed the dark skinned teen out of the room, wrapping his head carefully in the white bindings. They met up with Kise at the front door before leaving the flat and making their way down the long elevator ride to the ground floor. They were stopped unceremoniously by Daisuke who fretfully questioned about Kuroko's health. It took a few times to calm the receptionist down but Kuroko managed to convince the ravenette that he was fine and they continued on their way. When they stepped outside they were met with the refreshing smell rain leaves and the sun felt nice when it beat down on them as they headed towards the subway. They zigzagged through the streets, avoiding water puddles left behind from the storm last night and walked down into the underpass of the station.

They were all silent as they sat down on the seats of the train. The train wasn't too overcrowded but the ones who happened to be in the same compartment as them were giving them wary stares. Kuroko glanced around, unsure of why they were giving them odd looks before he looked back at Aomine and Kise. Aomine had blood stains all over his shirt and down his pants and Kise had blood on his back from where he carried Kuroko the day before. The two looked scary as they sat there with stern expressions on their faces and their bodies tense with guarded suspicion.

Kuroko brought his hand up to the bandages covering his head and figured he didn't look too different with the small traces of blood left behind and his blood matted hair. And the bruises left behind from the beating he had taken yesterday. Kuroko pulled his jacket closer to himself, unused to all the attention and tried to make himself smaller. Kuroko sighed and closed his eyes. It seems even misdirection didn't work when he had blood covering him. Kuroko tried to not let it bother him too much though. At this point he was just glad to have gotten a night's rest and changed out of those filthy clothes.

The ride wasn't too long but it was a good forty five minutes before the train stopped and Kuroko followed the werewolves out onto the street above. They walked for another ten minutes and came upon a strange vehicle parked alongside the road. It wasn't like the other cars there in Japan. It was square and blocky with huge tires on it and was painted an obnoxious red color. Kuroko made out the name _Jeep _plastered onto the back of the car. _An American car? _Kuroko thought confused. He recognized it now as a popular vehicle in the states of North America. Why would they have something like this?

"This," Aomine said as he patted the hood of the jeep tenderly, "is my baby." Kuroko raised an eyebrow at the teen but didn't say anything as he was led around the car by Kise.

Kuroko opened the door of the red vehicle and lifted himself into the higher-than-need-be jeep. It took a lot of work to haul himself into the towering vehicle but he managed with a grunt of effort and slid into the grey seats. Not too long after Aomine started the jeep and they took off down the almost empty streets in the outskirts of the city. The ride was bumpy when they turned down a winding road that led into the forest. The sun was immediately blocked by the overhanging trees and the view of the city from far away was hidden by the greenery.

The ride was quiet and Kuroko watched as the outside world flew passed them. Every now and again Kuroko caught the glimpse of colorful wildflowers. They were stark compared to the endless green surrounding them and Kuroko marveled at how beautiful they were. Kuroko didn't get to see much of this in the city. Most everything was concrete or some other inanimate object. There was of course the occasional tree planted in front of a building but it was nothing compared to seeing it in its natural state out in the forest. But he didn't get to admire them long enough before they were covered by another bush or tree as they went along their journey.

Eventually they pulled up another road which was more like a long driveway than not. And Kuroko wasn't disappointed when he saw the tips of a house peeking through the foliage of the trees. However when they turned one last time to head directly to the house Kuroko got a good view of the place and came to the conclusion that it was not a house. It was a freaking mansion! The place was stunning as it stood with stairs leading up to the huge porch, columns framing the entrance. The place was at least five stories high and the building was covered by many designs engraved on the white walls. Kuroko could tell the building was at least three centuries old but it was well taken care of and had lots of effort put into it to keep it standing.

"Well this is it." Aomine said offhandedly. As they all stood side by side in front of the mansion.

Kise turned to look at his pack member before holding out his hand. "It was nice knowing ya." He said with a shaky smile. Kuroko was confused by the two's conversation. What did they mean by these last farewells? "I didn't think we would have died this soon."

"Yeah, but it was fun while it lasted." Aomine grinned and took the offered hand. When they were done they faced the front entrance, their muscles tense as they started forward. "Hopefully the Alpha will make it quick and painless." The dark brunette said before shaking his head at himself as if he just said something stupid. "Wait, never mind, this _is_ Akashi we're talking about."

Kise nodded his head understandably in silent agreement leaving Kuroko confused as they walked into the house. He stood there alone now thinking the house to be intimidating. He steeled his nerves, not really anticipating the meeting of the alpha before following the two teens into the old mansion.

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**So there you have it. Not much action I know but it will get there I promise. Anyways tell me what you think through your reviews! **


	4. Chapter 4: Those above You

**Hey guys, sorry for not updating last weekend. I was busy and some things came up...so, enough with the excuses. Here's what you all have been waiting for! The introduction of Akashi with Kuroko. Also, someone mentioned the lack of a pairing for this story. I didn't put one up because I wasn't sure on doing one or not but if you guys would like one then I'm sure I could add it in the plot line. Just tell me through your reviews. I might do a poll if enough people want a pairing(s). Anyways, enjoy! **

**Chapter 4: Those above You **

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Something rushed through the forest, dodging around the trees as it ducked and avoided low branches and jumped over roots protruding from the ground. It made no sound. Its paws beat on the earth, kicking up dirt and mud from its powerful bounds that showed its monstrous strength. It all but flew through the leaves, the force of the wind from its speed rustling the leaves only when it was already far away. Its eyes glowed like that of a cat's in the hooded mist underneath the canopy of trees. Even if its eyes looked to be producing their own light, the animal was anything but a feline.

The muzzle was too long, and the whiskers framing its nose were too few and short compared to a cat's. The animal could see in the dark, perhaps even better than the felines could ever hope to accomplish, but unlike a cat's slanted eyes and slit pupils this one's eyes were round and had huge pupils adorning the middle of the iris, designed to absorb any and all light and could almost see in the darkest of places. The iris's color was a bit unusual for a cat, even for the animal itself. A jade green filled the pupil's perimeter and looked to be as if a gem itself resided within the eyes of the animal. As it moved one could barely catch the glimpse of a trail of light leaving its eyes, as if a stream of green was flowing off the irises themselves.

The animal pushed its body to the side, its muscles bunching up beneath its fur before springing it around the tree blocking its path. It avoided the tree easily and continued down its path without missing a beat. The muscles and structure of its bones were somewhat similar to a feline's, however if one were placed next to the other anyone could tell that the unusual animal had legs much longer and slimmer than a cat's. The muscles weren't as stocky as a sturdy cat that used their body structures for stealth and sprinting for short distances. The animal's lean muscles rippled under its fur hinting that it was a long distanced runner and could easily outrun anything in the world. A cat's stamina was nothing compared to the animal that had been traveling for almost three days straight now.

Its long haunches pushed it forward and the sharp claws protruding from its large paws dug into the earth and steadied the animal as it carried on without one slip of balance in the obstacle covered ground. Contrasting from a cat, this one's claws did not retract and always obtruded from its paws. A tongue ran out of the animal's mouth, trying to cool its overheating body in the humid air. It panted as it ran before slipping its pink tongue back into its mouth, large sharp canines closing and hiding it from view. Pointed ears tipped the head of the animal, moving in every which direction and listening for any sounds of danger or another presence. Down the spine of its back, a bushy tail flew in the wind as it helped the animal with its balance.

The animal could tell it was close now. Showing signs of intelligence, the animal followed a specific path along the hidden trail amongst the forest. Each step became faster when it saw light escaping from the trees and it rushed almost eagerly to the edge of the tree line. A couple bounds more and the animal burst from the forest. Sunlight illuminated the thick fur of the four legged animal as it dashed to the ledge of the cliff that overlooked a valley down below. It came to a halt at the edge, its sides heaving as its lungs contracted to bring in oxygen before releasing a long and loud howl above the quiet forest.

The wolf's head was thrown back as it signaled its return, the green eyes hidden behind its eyelids. The wind ruffling the hazel colored fur of the animal as it stood on the cliff, the movement of the wind blowing the fur to show the unique color of emerald green on the underbelly of the wolf. The strange color was unusual to see on a wolf but if anyone knew their species they would know that this was not a regular wolf but an animal that was only ever told in fairytales. The werewolf opened its eyes after finishing its call and brought its head down to stare at the mansion below. It was finally home.

Midorima was exhausted beyond belief and he was pretty sure that anyone would be after the events he just went through. For almost two weeks he had been tracking down a small clan of vampires through the rough terrain of Japan's forests. They never entered any major cities, keeping to the borders of the outskirts only. They were a cautious bunch and were constantly fidgeting; it was hard to stay hidden when several pairs of eyes were looking every which way 24/7. Midorima had to stay behind them several miles to ensure that he wouldn't be found out. But this kind of behavior was to be expected of a band of newborn vampires.

Newborns were, in any case, the weakest of the vampire lines. When freshly turned, a vampire's body is left weak and fragile due to the harsh transformation. The sudden change takes a large toll on the body and it takes several years for them to be at their true strength. As they continue to age they only get stronger. It made sense though, the more blood a vampire consumes the stronger it would get no matter what. It disgusted him by how something that used to be human could eat its previous kind like that. A newly turned vampire, being in its fragile state at the time, is the most ravenous of all. So desperate for blood to cure itself of its weakened state, a newborn will feed almost mindlessly, killing everything that comes close.

It was this reason as to why Midorima was following them. Akashi had received news that a new clan was roaming the lands and requested that Midorima keep an eye on them for the time being. If they were to endanger and kill any humans out of regular feeding habits then he was to dispose of them. Supernatural creatures were hidden from human society. Even though a lot relied on a human's presence, whether it is for food, a mate, or even their own body to possess, most supernatural creatures remained secreted from them to ensure that the humans wouldn't begin a purge and kill off all supernatural things inhabiting the world. It was a law of the supernatural to keep secret from the dangerous human beings and Midorima and his pack were of the few in the world who made sure to keep everyone in check.

Day after day he had shadowed the ever moving small clan of newborn vampires. He had caught the scent of six of them, four males and two females. They traveled at a moderate pace but almost never stopped, leaving barely any time for the sharp eyed werewolf to rest let alone eat. He was thankful to have eaten a big meal the day before he left otherwise he was sure he would have fallen far behind by now from exhaustion. Over rocky, tall mountains and long pastures Midorima kept stride with them and never once let them out of his sight. They had already been traveling for four days then, the tall hazel furred wolf was sure that the clan would be getting hungry and he wasn't disappointed when, on the fifth day, the vampire's trajectory changed suddenly to head towards a small town several miles away.

Having nothing else on their mind, the vampires completely disregarded Midorima's presence when he sat down in an alleyway a little ways away from the feeding vampires. If Midorima was in human form then he would have an apparent look of disgust written on his features. It was most unpleasant to watch newborn vampires feed. They were clumsy in almost everything they did. The leeches had picked a target in the deserted streets of a town in the middle of nowhere. A quiet place, no eyes to see them, and no one to notice they were even there. It was for these things that Midorima let them be.

Even though it was in his morals to not kill things without reason he left them alone since they were not breaking any rules, however painful it was to watch them. A vampire had to eat and it wasn't Midorima's right to kill vampires that were doing nothing wrong, at least for the leech's standards. If Midorima were to kill them without having valid proof that they broke the rules then it would start a whole new dispute with the vampire clans and history would repeat itself. All supernatural creatures knew how bloody and terrible a war between the two long rivaled enemies got. Every single one of the wars almost led to the extinction of both and it was because of that that the leaders of the two created a truce. It was a very meager and simple truce but it was enough to stop a vampire and werewolf from ripping each other apart if they happened to meet on the streets.

After they were finished with their meal and had long since left Midorima slowly made his way to the crumpled female lying in a heap on the ground. She was young, no older than nineteen, and with her hair pulled into pigtails and bangs framing her face Midorima knew that she must have been very pretty. The bite marks littering her body destroyed her, what must have been, very soft and fair skin and blood splattered her sickly pale face from when her throat was torn out. The gash no longer bled, the corpse was completely drained of blood and the girl's eyes stared up at Midorima blankly, the light having left them through a gory demise. Midorima closed his eyes in remorse at the unfortunate death of someone so young and used the tip of his muzzle to lightly push down her lids to cover the lifeless gaze of the teen. The stoic wolf grabbed a hold of the girl's coat and carefully dragged her body to the side of a building. It was all he could do for her right now; he still had to follow the clan.

Not looking back, Midorima took off in the direction the newborns had went, his nose twitching as he picked up their scent and all but forgot about the other life the vampires had taken.

It had neared eight days before Midorima got the chance to eat. He was shaking from the fatigue of going so long without a meal. The vampires decided to hang around a waterfall in the middle of a forest and were relaxing under the shade from the harmful sun. Midorima took this chance to catch a meal before they ran off again. He didn't stray too far, he had one ear on them the whole time as he made his way through the underbrush and searched for food. It was times like these that he wished he had brought a small bag with him that he could carry food in because eating raw meat was anything but pleasant.

It didn't take him long before he caught the scent of a small rodent. It wasn't much but it would have to do, anything bigger and the blood could alert the vampires of his presence. He slowly stalked the small animal, careful to remain hidden as he slid on his belly to keep low and out of sight. Through the leaves of a bush he could see the small rabbit nibbling on a few stalks of grass, its long ears moving to detect any hints of danger and its little pink nose sniffling away at the flowers and plants around it. It was the easiest to catch prey when they were eating or doing something just as distracting, so it didn't take much for Midorima to catch it when he sprang out from behind the bush, his haunches extending as he pushed forward with all his might. The little cottontail didn't even have enough time to show surprise before Midorima had his jaws around it. A quick snap and the rabbit felt nothing as it died. Catching prey was easy but eating it was surprisingly the hard part for Midorima. The fur was a nuisance so he always started by plucking the pelt from the animal. He couldn't shapeshift back into a human; it was too dangerous with the vampires being so close, so he had to endure the long process of skinning the rabbit with his teeth.

Twenty minutes later Midorima was surrounded by the thick fur of the rodent and was starting to tear into his meal. Eating in this form was always messy. Not even through his second bite he already had blood and gore accumulating around his snout, he tried to wipe it off by dragging his tongue across his mouth but it didn't help. Eventually he forgot about trying to remain clean and began to rip vigorously into the dead rabbit. His hunger was overpowering and he couldn't stall any longer, the vampires could always leave at any moment. In the end the rabbit was not the least bit satisfying, it only made him hungrier and this annoyed Midorima all the more. Hunger was such a petty thing to have to worry about, next time he would definitely bring a bag of food with him.

When the rabbit was just a pile of bones and scraps Midorima was determined to find a stream of water to wash off his bloody paws and face. He steered clear of the waterfall and any pools of water nearby to the vampire's hangout and ventured further to a series of small streams that connected to a small river. He drank deeply, not knowing when he would come close to the next source of water and stood alert on the riverbed. The water was refreshing and moistened his parched throat. Even though the weather was still cold the signs of spring were starting to show and the temperature was slowly beginning to warm up. Midorima didn't care much for the heat, it made him unbearably hot in his furry coat and he felt like he was suffocating gradually most of the time in the severe heat. Hopefully this summer won't be as hot at last year's.

Midorima didn't notice it at first, the slight shift of movement from across the river. He could have blamed it on the roaring of the water or just the fact that he was too absorbed in his thoughts but he was completely unaware of the three pairs of eyes staring at him from the other side of the water. It was when the sound of twigs snapping did he raise his head in alarm to the other presences. Midorima, for lack of better words, looked to be a deer caught in the headlights. His body stood rigid as the curious stares regarded him from only twelve meters away. He could hear them talking amongst themselves. The vampires were confused by Midorima's presence; they probably had never seen a werewolf before. But it didn't take long before their weak minds gave into the instinctual nature of attacking him.

When a breeze flew by and carried Midorima's scent to the newborns, their eyes turned black with mindless rage as they threw themselves forward to attack the werewolf that was forever etched into their DNA as their enemy. Midorima was quick to act and met them halfway in the shallow river, the water only reaching five inches above his paws. The vampires were clearly unused to their new strength, and it didn't take long for Midorima to take them down. The first one had jumped into the air, intent on landing on Midorima's back to get the upper hand but the green eyed male was used to this type of attack and quickly disposed of the leech by grabbing his foot in midair and throwing him off to the side. The other two faulted in their steps at how effortlessly Midorima defeated their comrade before charging in. The female of the small group went low and tackled into his chest while the other male let out a feral snarl as he came from his side and launched at the wolf's neck. Midorima reared back on his hind legs, easily towering over the heights of the human sized vampires, to evade the snapping fangs of the male and then brought down his paws on the female vampire below him, crushing her with his weight.

A new voice entered his ears when a scream sounded off from where the vampires had come. Midorima took a chance to glance over and saw another male on his knees, tears streamed down his face as he stared at the crumpled body on the ground. _She must have been his mate._ Midorima thought to himself. He didn't have much time to dwell on that fact before the rest of the vampires erupted through the trees and pounced on him. Midorima dodged blow after blow, fluently evading everything despite his huge size. The vampires were slow and inept, not use to the changes in their new qualities and Midorima brought each of them down, one by one. A few managed to land some scratches on him but nothing that wouldn't be able to heal in the next few minutes.

He clamped his jaws around the head of a young male, his teeth puncturing deeply into the skin before Midorima jerked his head back and ripped the skull off the vampire's body, undoubtedly killing him. He let go of the bloody appendage and it flew in the air from the momentum, landing at the feet of the last male that was attacking him. It rolled to a stop next to his feet, the face contorted into a silent scream and it looked like the vampire was about to throw up at the gruesome sight. But he didn't get the chance when Midorima advanced slowly to kill him. The blue eyed male gasped in fear at the approaching wolf. Midorima knew he most likely looked terrifying, with all the blood covering his face and the blood from his paws and leaking wounds turning the water around him a light hue of red.

The leech backed up in fear before turning around to flee. Midorima didn't let him as he launched forward and pushed him down, getting a good grip on his head before doing the same as he did to the other one. He ripped the head off of the struggling male and the body immediately went slack, blood pouring profusely from the gaping hole in his neck. The green eyed teen dropped the head in disgust; the part had chunks of skin and muscle from the body still attached to it from the unclean split the power of the tear created. It rolled away, the force of the current pushing it down stream. Midorima looked around him, the carcasses and corpses littering the area turning the river into a sea of red.

He didn't want to kill them but when they attacked him he had no choice but to defend himself. It was their fault that they thought they could take on the beta of a powerful pack. Mere newborns were nothing to him. Sighing to himself, Midorima grabbed the nearest body and dragged him to the edge of the riverbed. The one thing that he hated when he killed a supernatural creature is that one had to burn them to ensure no human will find out about them. Even though a vampire is dead, there is still a chance that a human could find the sharp fangs hidden behind the gums of the normal teeth. It sickened him when he thought about their teeth, four long and sharp incisors rested behind the normal looking human teeth and when it is time to feed or fight the teeth protrude from the gums and push out the human teeth.

He heard it was actually quite painful for vampires to change their teeth, almost like werewolves shapeshifting. Every time they use their fangs, their body regenerates new human teeth and when they are done using them they push out the canines to take their place. The procedure was quite similar to that of a shark's.

He pulled the last body onto solid ground and then began digging a large hole. He didn't bring a lighter with him so he would have to bury them to hide their secret. As he dug he couldn't help but think back to when that vampire had cried. It was strange to him, to see vampires express emotions so openly. Usually the vile beings had no shred of humanity left when they turned but this one seemed almost devastated when he saw his mate die. Midorima snorted. Yeah he might have cried like a baby when she died but that didn't go for the same when he had drained the life out of that little girl, looking as if he was enjoying every second of it. It repulsed him on how they could feel joy when taking the lives of others.

He hopped out of the deep hole and grabbed one of the corpses to drag them into the cavity. The body fell like cement and made a dull thud as it hit the bottom. He carried on almost in a trance as body after body fell into the hole, dust rising into the air from the repeated impacts. When every part was placed inside Midorima began to kick back the dirt to cover the lifeless bodies. It was a tiring and long process but eventually the hole was filled and the bodies within were hidden, forever to be kept a secret. He pawed at the ground, trying to level it out the best he could before taking off through the trees, his destination being that of a long journey back to his home.

Arriving home, it wasn't surprising when he watched from above as Aomine and Kise exited the jeep but the third presence caught him off guard. It was unusual to see someone new amongst their pack; they normally kept to themselves and were probably the most mysterious pack out there. They had to be though; if they were to keep their leader's identity hidden from the creatures that wanted to spill his blood. Someone of Akashi's status was too valuable and having anyone unfamiliar near to them was a risk. New faces were a caution to the sharp eyed werewolf. They couldn't trust anyone in this world.

He watched silently as they conversed with each other, Kise and Aomine shaking each other's hands before entering the mansion. His eyes narrowed at the small teenager who was left behind. Was he another wolf? Or some other type of hybrid? Midorima knew that werewolves weren't the only shifting beings out there. He had heard tales of werecats and others lurking farther away from human society, all but forgotten as they remained hidden from everything. He gave the air a slight sniff. He couldn't smell another animal's scent on him that most shape shifters seemed to contain. But as he continued he noticed that underneath all the coppery muck of the blood and sweat, there wasn't much scent on the boy to begin with. Almost as if he weren't there, transparent from even the most skilled of noses. Midorima didn't like that.

He sat down and watched skeptically as the bluenette followed his two pack mates inside. He could already tell the two had a story to explain to the alpha. No outsider was taken into the house otherwise. Midorima waited a few moments before travelling down the steep cliff and slipping into the tall grass surrounding the perimeter of the house, time to go find out what was happening for himself and to give a report to Akashi. Midorima winced at the thought. After the previous dealings he knew his alpha wouldn't be pleased to hear the unfortunate events.

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Kuroko stood in the front entrance of the modernized house. The whole place screamed expensive as he looked at all the different decorations and furniture occupying the main living room. From the outside, it may seem old; however the inside was anything but. The place was open and perfectly decorated and Kuroko knew that a woman's touch must have been placed here and there as he took in the sight of flower ornaments and other glass statues lining shelves. The double door entrance opened up to a large entrance hall and then to the main living room. Kuroko took off his shoes in politeness before heading further into the mansion.

The first thing that grabbed his attention was the huge fireplace set against the far wall with glass French doors lining the brick. The doors were left open and wind ruffled the long white curtains, giving the room a tranquil and airy feeling. Several couches gathered around a large coffee table in the middle of the marble tiled floor, brown throw pillows with leaf designs contrasting with the white fabric, and a dark green rug was placed below the furniture. A few black side tables sat next to the white sofas and Kuroko raised an eyebrow at the assortment of items placed on each.

On the couch to the left, the top of the table could not be seen anymore as it was completely piled with different varieties of snacks and candies. The packages practically fought one another for space on the wood creating a bizarre squashed rainbow affect. The lithe bluenette walked around the couch to get a closer look at all of the foods and sweets. Candy wrappers and a few cans of soda littered the armrest and any other empty space around it. _It would seem this person is a bit lazy to pick up after themselves._ Kuroko thought to himself, as he strode forward but his foot hit something small as he moved around the table. Surprised, Kuroko looked down to see that he had knocked over a few glass jars and a bowl of some leafy green objects.

A little frantic at his mistake, Kuroko squatted down to set the beakers back up and then shovel the substance back into the bowl. But when his fingers touched the green material it gave a shudder before bursting into a thin powder and vanishing. Kuroko sat there, a bit confused at what just happened. He blinked before deciding to leave the rest of the mess on the floor, too worried to touch it again.

He brushed his hands on his pants subconsciously as he moved on to the next table by the opposite couch, the one closest to the fireplace had several modeling and fashion magazines placed on top. It took Kuroko a second to realize that the male he was looking at on the cover page was in fact Kise. _Kise-kun is a model? _Kuroko wondered as he looked at all the poses the werewolf was performing on the paper. Glancing over to the side Kuroko's blue eyes caught the shape of a plane figurine placed almost carefully from harm's way on the table. A pair of pilot goggles rested next to the small plane and Kuroko thought that the orange color for the lenses was a bit obnoxious. _Fitting, for someone like Kise. _He mused.

Walking to the next table Kuroko found a few empty pop cans placed together in the corner and out of the way. A black game controller was set directly in the middle of the table and another bunch of magazines were underneath it. The genres for these ones were completely different from Kise's though. Several sport magazines were thrown into a pile and Kuroko read that most of them contained basketball news in them. Switching his gaze to the heap of papers that occupied the rest of the table, Kuroko read the headlines on some of them but only became confused when almost all consisted of details to murder cases and things of the like. _Is this person a detective or something?_ The phantom player thought as he glanced down at the lines of victim's names and ungodly cases of murder. Not wanting to read anymore he turned to the next table to clear his mind from the haunting words printed on the paper.

Unlike the other three this one had everything placed almost perfectly on top. Everything was arranged in an orderly and proper fashion with not one thing out of place. A stack of medical books resided next to a small lamp placed by the corner, Kuroko curiously read the titles but stopped when the pronunciations of the words started to hurt his head. It was like the books were written in a different language, none of it made sense. Moving his eyes to the stack of papers occupying the rest of the black wooded table, Kuroko raised an eyebrow inquisitively at the title of the first page. 'SPN Victim Reports'. Nothing else was said which left the page blank. He lifted his hand to flip the paper over but another hand came out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist.

Kuroko jerked back, flinching from the touch, and felt a spike of fear travel though his body when the previous night's events came rushing to his eyes. A flash of fangs glittering in the light, black malicious eyes glaring hungrily at him, and pain flaring all through him as they tortured and beat him. A startled shriek escaped his lips unwillingly as he jolted from the person holding him. This seemed to surprise them as they let go of his hand quickly resulting in Kuroko losing his balance from the momentum and he crashed onto the hard floor. Kuroko stared at the ground, paralyzed as his chest heaved with panic. He didn't know why he acted like that, he was usually so impassive and calm during most situations. A simple, unexpected touch should not have made him respond that way. Footsteps were heard from upstairs and a worried voice called his name.

Kise and Aomine rushed down the stairs to see what happened to the distressed phantom player. And Kuroko could only sit there while Aomine confronted the one who had grabbed him and Kise kneeled down next to him to see if he was okay. It took a minute for the bluenette to get his bearings as he willed the unwanted memories to go away. He made sure to shove them deep within his mind, inside a large hole and locked behind several thick walls and doors to make sure that they would never leak out again. Kuroko didn't want to relive those nightmares again and believed it was much better to try and completely forget about them. He shook his head as he came to and pushed Kise's hand away when he saw the blonde waving the appendage in front of his face, trying to gain his attention.

He mustered a blank expression as best he could and told the overactive blonde that he was fine before pushing himself up off the ground and brushing his clothes off. He stood slowly, his body still a bit shaky from the surprise and cast his eyes over to the two males quarrelling a few feet away from him. Aomine seemed pissed as he yelled at another teen. His fists were clenched as he threatened him and his eyes were narrowed in anger. Kuroko followed his line of sight to the new presence in the room.

The stoic phantom player took back the thought of Aomine being tall; the person who stood in front of the dark bluenette was at least three inches taller than the smoldering azure eyed werewolf. He didn't look very happy as Aomine practically yelled in his face and he pushed up his glasses haughtily before crossing his arms in defiance as he retorted something back to the hotheaded teen. Whatever he said seemed to push Aomine over the edge as he lunged at the green haired male. Kise shouted at them to stop but they both ignored him as they rolled around on the floor, growls and snarls escaping their mouths as they pulled their lips back to show their teeth intimidatingly.

"Come on guys, stop it!" Kise tried to make peace between the two but to no avail. "You know it's prohibited to fight in the house! You'll get in trouble if-"

"Daiki, Shintarou, enough." A commanding voice ordered over the noise of the two fighting werewolves. Kise quickly shut his mouth when they spoke and stopped trying to push the two away from each other. Even though the voice wasn't directed to him he stood rigid and lowered his head to the floor, an instinctual habit when in the presence of the alpha. The voice wasn't very deep but there was a certain promise of pain if the one it was intended towards didn't do as it said. It confused Kuroko when the two fighting werewolves stilled immediately when the voice spoke and quickly stood up, their heads bowed and gazes lowered to the ground. Kuroko shifted uneasily, the atmosphere became heavy and rather tense when the new company walked in, this person must be very powerful in order to have an effect like that.

With inquisitiveness getting the better of him, the eyes of the phantom player moved over to glance in the direction of the new individual. He didn't expect to see the figure of a male not that much taller than him glaring down from the steps of the stairs at the two quiet werewolves. _Is he their alpha? _Kuroko considered to himself confused. Weren't they supposed to be big and powerful? Kuroko didn't know much about wolves let alone werewolves but he thought that the canines picked the strongest wolf in their ranks to be the leader of the pack. The one standing with mismatched eyes seemed rather frail to be leader especially with someone like Aomine in the pack. Shouldn't the dark skinned wolf be the one to lead, since he looked to be the most dangerous of all of them? Kuroko didn't know what to think as the red haired alpha sauntered down the rest of the steps, his eyes cold as he glared at the two misbehaving teens.

"This house is off limits to any rash activities. I will not have my house fall to ruin because you two could not control your tempers." He stood before the two his arms crossed in anger, even for his size Kuroko couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the stern expression plastered to the heterochromatic eyed teen. "I do not like disobedient dogs." The short male said with finality.

"Sorry, 'Kashi." Grumbled out Aomine from where he stood, he shuffled in mild annoyance from being scolded but kept his mouth from saying anything that would get him in further trouble. Midorima didn't say one word; just a breath of irritation left his lips, not liking how mighty the alpha appeared as he bowed his head lower in apology. Akashi nodded his head once before turning around to face Kuroko who was watching the exchange between them intently. Not expecting the other to be aware of his presence so soon, the small bluenette was caught off guard when the next thing that came out of Akashi's mouth was directed to him.

"You must be Kuroko Tetsuya." Akashi addressed him. The taller red head ventured closer to the frozen bluenette, his eyes studying him from every angle as he circled around him, like a predator to their prey. As he got closer Kuroko felt a bit underdressed as he saw the clothes the heterochromatic teen wore. Compared to his own slightly worn jeans and old t-shirt he had just thrown on in the morning, Akashi's well taken care of and styled jeans and his ironed white dress shirt that didn't have even a hint of a wrinkle in it made it seem like he had just walked out of a model magazine. The only thing ruining his impeccable image was the fact that his black tie around his collar was just halfway done, the fabric loose and barely hanging on his neck, his sleeves were rolled up most likely due to the hot day and his feet were bare since he was in his own house.

"-haven't you?"

Kuroko blinked his eyes when he saw Akashi giving him an expectant look. Had he blanked out? He didn't recall hearing him ask him a question. Not wanting to anger the red head any more than what he already was from the dispute between Aomine and -Shintarou wasn't it- Kuroko calmed his nerves and looked the alpha in the eye impassively. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." He softly said and quickly looked away when Akashi frowned at him. He stopped his pacing and stood in front of the nervous phantom, eyes assessing every detail of him, practically tearing him apart from how harsh his gaze was. Kuroko gulped uneasily, a bead of sweat beginning to form on his temple.

"How is it that someone of your stature would gain the attention of a clan of vampires?" Akashi mused to himself, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face, not noticing how much that question offended the other. Kuroko formed a frown on his face from the insolent words. He didn't even know this "Akashi" person and already he was throwing insults at him? Kuroko didn't like this one's attitude. "I would like to know why you were involved in our escapade with the vampires and your connections with them."

Kuroko scoffed at the other's idiocy. How could he have any relations with those vampires?! They tried to kill him! Kuroko narrowed his eyes at the pack leader, no longer feeling threatened by him. If this was the leader of the pack then he didn't want anything to do with them! The sooner he leaves the better. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't even know vampires existed a few hours ago." Kuroko told him.

Akashi raised an eyebrow at him. "My pack told me that the vampires wanted you for something, they said that they were so determined to catch you that they even gave their own lives for it." Akashi began circling him again; his arms clasped together behind his back while he stared down his nose at the unwavering phantom player. "It is unusual for vampires to be so stubborn during a hunt when they are at a disadvantage, especially with werewolves involved. Whatever they are planning, it involves you and I don't want to wait around and find out." He leaned his head down a bit, his face inches from Kuroko's own. "So tell me, why are you so important to them?"

Kuroko shifted back, his feet making the only sound in the area as the other three watched silently from across the room. "I don't know why I am so important to them," he began, growing exasperated that the other wouldn't stop his useless prying, "but I do know that vampires and other creatures like you do indeed exist in this world and that I happen to be thrown in the middle of it." Kuroko sidestepped the alpha, intent on leaving the werewolves and mess behind. He didn't care if he had to walk all the way home; he just wanted to forget that all this happened. Everything was too weird for him to comprehend at the moment. "So if you don't mind Akashi-_kun_," he started, emphasizing the suffix of his name, "I would like to leave now and forget this whole charade." He didn't get very far after he said the last sentence before arms shoved him up against the wall nearby and hands grabbed the front of his jacket, closing the airway in his neck.

He stood there, trying to still his rapid breathing as another horrifying sensation washed over him. Akashi's hands tightened on his clothes, his breath catching in his throat at the murderous expression marring the alpha's face. "I do not tolerate your words, _Tetsuya." _Akashi growled out, using Kuroko's emphasis against him with his own name. "You may not know it but I am the alpha of this pack, my status is far above yours. You will not talk to me that way lest you want to die." Kuroko didn't even struggle as the hands only seemed to tighten more, he couldn't breathe now and Akashi showed how serious he was by pulling the bluenette off the ground. His feet hung inches in the air and his back was pressed harshly against the wall, the heterochromatic eyed leader's way of showing his strength.

Akashi got a thoughtful look on his face as he contemplated what he had just said. "That might not actually be a bad idea. If the vampires want you so bad, then it might be safest to kill you now so they won't be able to continue their plan." He narrowed his eyes after that before letting go of Kuroko. The lithe bluenette gasped for air to cease the burning in his lungs as he crumbled to the floor on his knees. He brought a shaky hand up to his head where his wound was and almost groaned in anguish when he felt the wetness of blood soaking through the white bandages. The cut must have reopened when he was slammed against the wall. He just couldn't catch a break could he?

"Besides," he heard Akashi continue from above him without a hint of remorse for hurting him, "you ruined my plans of tracking them down to find their colony. Three months of information and patience wasted through the mistake of your presence being in the most inconvenient time." Akashi kneeled down before the bluenette, looking him harshly in the eyes. "If it wasn't for you then we would have been able to put a stop to those murderous parasites." He spat out without mercy as he stood back up. Kuroko flinched back at the cruel tone the alpha attacked him with, it bit through him almost physically.

Kuroko needed to think of something fast, this werewolf wasn't kidding about killing him. He could feel the murderous intent rolling off him in waves and it suffocated him with the weight. But what could he do? He didn't seem to be one to allow things through begging, so pleading for his life didn't look like an option. Besides, begging wasn't something Kuroko liked to resort to but he would use it as a last choice if need be. Kuroko looked over to the other occupants of the room, his eyes searching for help, but he was met with the werewolves looking down at the ground, their faces turned away from his as they allowed their alpha to do as he pleased. They wouldn't even look at him as they kept silent from across the room, another choice that wouldn't be able to help. So, without thinking, Kuroko opened his mouth to suggest something outrageous.

"I could help you." Akashi turned his head down at him curiously; even the avoiding werewolves glanced over at the preposterous option. Akashi waited as Kuroko fortified his bearings, his breaths coming out slower as he stood up to face the perplexed alpha. "If I had ruined your plans then please let me help you. I could track them myself and find their clan since they are already searching for me." Kuroko said almost emotionlessly but on the inside he was cursing himself for opening his big mouth and suggesting something so ridiculous. _Stop! What are you doing?! _He screamed at himself to shut up but it would seem that his body didn't want to listen. "Without me it might take you several more months to find them." He tried to reason, not knowing where he was going with this.

"I could find the clan for you."

Akashi regarded him with an amused expression. "Very well." he agreed after some thought.

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**So there it is. Thanks so much you guys for all the awesome reviews! They are really encouraging! I didn't think anyone would actually read this story, it's a big surprise to me really. Don't forget to review! **


	5. Chapter 5: When the Truth Comes Out

**Hello my wonderful readers! I am going to be honest, I don't really like this chapter. I don't think I'm capturing the personalities of each character that well, argh it's so hard to write them! Anyways, for future notice Kagami will have a major part in this story and I can't wait until the story gets to it. So Kagami will also be an option for pairings. Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 5: When the Truth Comes Out **

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"Shintarou, retrieve your medical supplies and treat Tetsuya's wounds. I'm beginning to smell an infection forming." Kuroko stood still as Akashi swiftly spun around and walked back to the porcelain staircase he had come down from. He took a few steps up the stairs before turning to glance back at the other occupants in the room. "Also, make sure to send him up to my office when you are done. I still have some matters to discuss with his new," Akashi moved his stone cold stare to the frozen bluenette, "predicament." He finished, continuing on his journey up to the second floor leaving Kuroko with an annoyed Shintarou, panic-stricken Kise, and irritated Aomine.

The green haired teen pushed his glasses up his nose as he let out an exasperated sigh. Kuroko watched silently as he moved to another room, no doubt getting the first aid upon his alpha's request. Kise visibly sagged in relief once the leader of the pack left the room, a breath of air leaving lungs as the tension in the room disappeared. Aomine shook his head, lips twisting into a scowl as he moved over to one of the couches and roughly sat down. Kise followed him and collapsed on the cushion next to his pack mate.

"Kurokocchi, why don't you come and sit down?" Kise's voice interrupted the strong silence in the room, his head popping over the back of the couch to look at him worriedly. "I can smell the fresh blood on you. Your head wound must be pretty bothersome." He stated with his golden eyes transfixed on the blood that was slowly starting to seep through Kuroko's tightly wrapped bandages. A snort was heard from next to the blonde as Aomine turned his body slightly to face Kise.

"No shit Sherlock. Of course something like that would be bothersome." The dark bluenette jabbed lazily at the shorter teen. Ignoring the offended stutters escaping from Kise's mouth, Aomine moved his gaze to Kuroko and pointed a finger to his own head where Kuroko's lacerate would be. "Must suck not being able to heal as fast as us, huh? I can't even imagine having to go through weeks of pain, waiting for just one tiny scratch to heal." Aomine nonchalantly said as he leaned back into the white sofa.

Kuroko ignored Aomine's words and walked closer to the couches and the lounging werewolves. When he reached the side of the couch Kise paused to stare at the lithe bluenette, a thoughtful look on his face as he contemplated what Aomine had said. "How long would something like that take to heal?" he asked curiously, a hand patting the back of his head to show what he was inquiring about.

"All humans heal at different rates, but I would say a month or two before the incision is sealed, a few more after before it's completely healed." Midorima walked back into the living room, his hands full of several different medical supplies. Kuroko caught the glimpse of needles hidden beneath a pile of gauze and gulped to himself. He knew that he would have to get stitches, but just the thought of having a sharp object pierce his skin again made him uncomfortable. "However, if the wound is constantly messed with and disturbed the healing regimen could increase for an even longer extended period of time." The green haired male placed the materials on the coffee table, his eyes glancing up to meet Kuroko's blue orbs.

"Sit." Midorima pointed a finger to the other couch and Kuroko followed instructions, moving over to the opposite sofa where Aomine and Kise were sitting. Kuroko sat stiffly on the soft cushion and waited anxiously as he watched Midorima begin to dig through all the different tools. He wrung his hands together, his eyes never leaving the medic as he sorted through his things. Picking up a small disinfectant package Midorima sat down next to the rigid bluenette, noticing how tense the other's muscles were. "Quit being so nervous, I'm not going to stab you or anything." Midorima quipped, though his face held a hint of worry as he turned the phantom player's head to the side and pulled off his bandaging to get a better view of his gash.

As Midorima studied his cut and cleaned it Kuroko could hear the keen-eyed male whisper things to himself about the way the cut looked. From what he could distinguish, it wasn't deep but the opening was long and irritated from the extended exposer to air without being properly tended to. It hurt when his fingers brushed the sensitive flesh around the gash and the disinfectant pad made his wound sting and burn harshly on contact. Kuroko had to suck in a deep breath to refrain from making any pained sounds. Clenching his hands into fists and closing his eyes tightly, the small bluenette sat as still as he possibly could while the other cleaned the cut.

It was strange, the way that Midorima seemed to treat him. His touches were careful and soft, as if he knew exactly how to treat someone's wounds without causing further harm. It made the stoic teen wonder whether or not the one sitting next to him was a doctor of some sort. He took a risk to glance over to the tall medic beside him and was startled to see that his jaded eyes held so much concentration over his work, Kuroko was sure that the house could have exploded and the keen-eyed werewolf wouldn't have even noticed much less glance over. _Definitely a doctor. _He concluded as his cerulean eyes trailed over to watch him begin lacing up a needle with a string. His motions were precise and fluid, not one movement wasted or unneeded.

A hint of confusion laced the phantom's expression as he noticed the bandages bound tightly around his left hand that held the string. _Why is it wrapped?_ Kuroko wanted to know the reason but decided that that was a question for later. He was curious as to why someone would bandage only one hand. Was he hurt? Or did he have some kind of rash infecting his hand? Kuroko's eyes studied the mysterious hand intently as Midorima continued with his work as if the bluenette wasn't burning a hole through his hand.

It wasn't long before Kuroko could feel the pressure on his scalp as the medic started to suture his open wound back together. It was surprising to find out that it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would and he sat there patiently waiting for the doctor to finish with his work. A few minutes later Midorima pulled out a pair of scissors and snipped the end of the string, showing that he was done. Kuroko stayed silent, waiting until the medic allowed him to move. He didn't want to possibly anger the werewolf if he started moving and ruin whatever work he had just done. He watched as Midorima sorted the mess on the coffee table, the room silent as everyone waited for the news on his health.

"In three weeks' time I'll have to remove your sutures. The laceration isn't fatal but there is concerning bruising underneath the tissue." Midorima started, explaining what he could to ensure the phantom player that he would be fine. However, Midorima didn't like to lie to his patients or sugarcoat anything, so he always told his patients the truth to assure that they would be aware of how serious their injuries could be. "I can tell that this was done by a serious blow to your cranium, I would like to check if you suffered from any kind of head trauma, if you're alright with that." Midorima said as he looked intently at the smaller teen for permission. Kuroko only nodded his head in consent, allowing Midorima to pull a small flashlight out of his pocket and begin flashing it into his eyes.

Once Midorima was positive that no concussions were present he turned off the mini light, leaving small black dots swimming in Kuroko's eyes. The skilled doctor began prodding around his head with his fingers, small pressure being applied in certain areas gently around his head. The fingers ran through his hair, checking for any other wounds or bruising and Kuroko could only grimace in disgust as he wondered what his hair looked like right now. No doubt it was filthy with all the dried blood and sweat. Kuroko raised a hand to pull a strand of his bangs in front of his eyes and pulled a face at the contorted purple color hiding the pale blue his hair usually was. He let out an annoyed puff of air as he allowed the strand to drop back on his forehead. He probably smelled too.

"I don't detect any blood build up or crushed areas of your skull. It would seem that you only have to worry about the cut but I would still be careful with doing any sudden movements," Midorima stated professionally. He shifted over to sit across from Kuroko on the glass coffee table and folded his hands on his lap. Kuroko gave him his full attention as he held the werewolf's gaze. "That means no strenuous activities either, such as sports. I would also like for you to avoid most electronic devices so that you won't strain your eyes too much from the light. You will be prone to getting more headaches now and drinking lots of water can help reduce the possibility."

Kuroko nodded his head in understanding, not liking the idea of having to postpone any basketball activities but accepting the fact that he would be need to be careful for the next few weeks.

"Also, clean the wounds regularly but be gentle and don't use hot water. The temperature will only irritate the cut. Any soap should be fine to use." Midorima added as an afterthought before standing up.

Kuroko followed suit and stood up to bow in thanks to the taller teen. "Thank you Midorima-kun, I will make sure to do as you requested." He told him honestly. He appreciated what the other had done for him; he didn't want to think about what going to the hospital could have started. If his teammates found out about the situation he was in, they would all freak. Kuroko didn't think he could tolerate any unnecessary attention right now. He never liked people fussing over him anyways.

Kise stretched his arms over his head, a yawn escaping his mouth. He blinked his eyes open and once seeing the two done with the check-up, gained an infectious grin on his face. "Finally! That took you guys forever!" Kise whined, standing up from the sofa to skip over to the two. "Humans must be pretty fragile to have Midorimacchi fixing them for that long." He complained as he rubbed a fist into an eye, trying to rid himself of his sleepiness.

Midorima scoffed. "While I admit humans are delicate, I will have you know that I did not take that long." The tall medic replied haughtily before picking up his supplies. A few bloody rags were all that remained as Midorima turned around to put away the materials.

"Hmm? Then why did I fall asleep?" Kise called to him when the keen eyed doctor left the room.

"You fell asleep because you're lazy." Came a harsh response and a few bangs could be heard as Midorima put the medical supplies back into their container. Footsteps were heard and Midorima entered the large living room before saying, "It only took me thirteen minutes anyway." Kise made a condescending sniff and crossed his arms while turning his nose up in the air. Midorima snorted, unamused, as he made his way to the staircase, his bare feet making slapping noises as they hit the marble floors. He got to the third step before turning around to give Kuroko a pointed look. "Are you coming?"

Kuroko jerked his way forward, remembering that Akashi had wanted to see him after they were done. A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of being alone with the frightening alpha. Hopefully nothing bad will happen. Kuroko cast a glance to the past out Aomine who had an arm and a leg hanging off the edge of the couch before following the emerald eyed werewolf up the grand staircase. Turning around the corner on the next level, Kuroko and Midorima left behind the pouting Kise and snoring Aomine.

The trek through the overly large mansion was interesting, to say the least. Every room that Kuroko could see was elegantly decorated and almost all the windows that were in the house were left open. What sunlight that could escape from the heavy clouds illuminated the floor beneath each window pane, making the marble glow a pretty white. And the curtains hanging to the sides of the glass panes blew gently in the light breeze, their long colored cloth fluttering in waves. The cream colored halls were lined with small wall lamps and the occasional chandelier, lighting what the windows could not. Even though many small decorations and ornaments filled the rooms and extraordinary paintings laced the walls, Kuroko found it weird when he couldn't see one single picture of the house's residents. The lack of family photos made the house seem hollow for some reason and Kuroko was bitterly reminded of his own empty house back in the city.

Shaking his head, Kuroko pushed the unwanted thoughts from his mind, not wanting to dwell on the past. A few more turns and Midorima led him up to the double door entrance for Akashi's office. He parted with no words, only giving the lithe phantom player a concerned glance as he returned to where they came. Kuroko gulped as he stared at the dark wooded doors, their sheer size all but making him feel insignificant as they towered over him. A trickle of sweat fell down his temple and Kuroko swiftly ran his hand across his face. Taking a deep breath, the small phantom planted a passive expression before knocking lightly on the wooded doors. A muffled, "Come in" was heard and Kuroko twisted the knob, stepping tensely into the room.

Books of all genres piled into bookshelves on the walls, the shelves taking up the whole space from top to bottom and ran from one end of the room to the other. At the opposite end, the bookshelves stopped against a wall made entirely of glass. There were no doors in the glass and the usual curtains surrounding the windows were nowhere to be seen, the light being able to fully brighten the room without hassle. It was this that made Kuroko squint from the light shining in his cerulean eyes, the sun finally having broken out from the cloud's clutches. A dark silhouette was placed directly in the center of the moderate sized room, the shape forming that of a desk and Kuroko could tell that the leader of the pack sat in the seat positioned at the table. He hesitantly walked further into the room, stopping when he was only a few feet away from the domineering alpha.

Up close, his eyes adjusted to the light and he could see the details of the alpha take form. His hair was tousled, like he hadn't had time in the morning to brush it but the tips of the strands were caught in the sunlight and burned a fiery red, making it look as if the hair was on fire. The long bangs ran in his face as he looked down and now that he got the chance to actually observe the appearance of the werewolf he could see the dark circles beginning to form underneath his heterochromatic eyes. Akashi's head was propped up on his hand, his expression calculating as he studied the shogi board before him. All the pieces were placed randomly on the table but Kuroko got an eerie feeling that this wasn't a normal game, like each piece essentially meant something. He stood there for a few minutes as Akashi stared at the game. Kuroko watched as the small alpha picked up a spare piece and placed it back onto the board. The low snap that the piece made on contact seemed to mock Kuroko as it reverberated through the silent room.

"Do you know what you have just nominated yourself for, Tetsuya?" the sudden voice of the alpha made Kuroko snap his eyes up to see Akashi's eyes fixated on him, an intense glow radiating from the mismatched eyes. Kuroko shifted his head from side to side slowly, not trusting himself to speak. Akashi snorted softly at his answer and proceeded with the game in front of him. A few more pieces were moved before the red haired leader spoke again. "You have no idea what lurks in the shadows yet you still continue forward ingenuously. How foolish of you."

Kuroko kept his mouth shut. Anything he said could anger the werewolf and there was still that chance of the alpha killing him. It would be best to remain silent unless asked a question directly. So Kuroko stood still, his hands placed inside the pockets of his hoodie. Akashi narrowed his eyes at the lack of response but ignored the other as he carefully moved another piece on the board.

"What you had just experienced last night is only the beginning. There will be more battles, more blood, more pain, and," another sound of wood hitting wood was heard as Akashi stilled his hand over a newly placed shogi piece, "more death." His dark eyes rose to meet his blue ones but Kuroko stared into them, his gaze unwavering. "You will be forced into a war that has been going on for centuries, everything you do could mean the life or death of another being. Do you have the ability to take the life of another if it means the survival for thousands more?"

Kuroko shuffled his feet at the deep question. He never gave it much thought. But now that the problem has been thrown out there, did he really have the guts to kill someone? To rip the most precious thing from someone's grasp and tear it apart? Life was something very valuable; his grandmother always told him that. No one should ever take advantage of it. But wasn't death something that was the inevitable? Everyone died, no matter the circumstance. And the people he might have to kill would be killers themselves; vampires who, from his personal experience, held no regard to human life. Wasn't he just stopping them from causing further harm in the future?

Kuroko looked down to his hands. But did he honestly have it in him to plunge a knife into the body of another being, feel their warm blood drip on his hands? Watch as they fall and see the light of their eyes leave, their body growing colder by the second? Just how many lives would he have to take before Akashi would let him go? Kuroko blinked his eyes as he envisioned a warm, red substance begin to cover his hands. How would he be able to live life knowing that he had murdered someone, had taken their life and selfishly continued living his? Their blood stained on his hands. Just the thought made him feel sick to his stomach. Kuroko shook his head to rid himself of the haunting thoughts, telling himself that he would be doing this for the greater good.

"I-I . . ." his soft voice stuttered, the tone sounding pathetic to his own ears. Kuroko narrowed his eyes at himself, glaring at the floor. Now wasn't the time to feel scared, he needed to prove that he could kill if the situation called for it. _Besides, _he thought firmly, _it's either my life or theirs. _Taking a deep breath, he stood straight as his gaze fell to the alpha before him. "If I am needed to take the life of another then I won't hesitate in doing so." The words fell from his lips. Akashi scrutinized him, his eyes looking for any signs of a lie as Kuroko stood solid, holding steady to his answer.

"Hmph, very well." Was the alpha's response, an amused smirk lifting the edges of his lips. "But, as you are inexperienced in any form of combat regarding the supernatural, you will be expected to return here every day to receive lessons concerning their weaknesses and abilities. I will not have you running blindly into the heat of a battle without a hint of what to do." Kuroko thought it was kind of nice for the callous alpha to actually show concern for his wellbeing. "Who knows how much of a nuisance you'll be unless given the proper trainings." Never mind.

"Also, since I have yet to uncover the plans those parasites have been establishing, your house perimeters will be closely watched for any signs of a threat. Hopefully those vampires have enough sense to not try the same attack strategy twice. However I still want you to be cautious of your surroundings from now on." Akashi told him as he resumed with the game, picking up one last piece. "Dropping your guard or any wrong moves," his hand trailed over the checkered board, the piece lightly grasped in between his forefinger and thumb, "could mean the end of your existence." The piece was set down, the sound echoing in the tense room. "And you wouldn't even have the time to realize this before it's too late." A shogi piece was taken from the board and tossed to the side, having lost the battle. Kuroko frowned while Akashi swiped his arm across the checkered board, the pieces flying off of the wood.

"Do not doubt what I say Tetsuya." Akashi demanded his voice thick with superiority. The sky behind him darkened as the sun finally surrendering to the dark clouds, no longer having the strength to shine through. His eyes met Kuroko's own and the two stared at each other, neither's gaze unwavering. "For I am absolute." Kuroko gulped at the other's tone in his voice; somehow it felt like Akashi was telling the truth with the way he reacted. "Now, I will give you one week to rest and prepare yourself. At the end of the week I will call you to allow your return."

Kuroko's mind wondered back to the time when his phone was broken, the pieces littering the ground as they fell from that maniac vampire's hands. "I'm sorry but I do not have a phone." The lithe bluenette told the alpha.

Akashi frowned in confusion. What teenager these days didn't have a cellphone? "Then one of the pack members will retrieve you. What of your parents?"

"Huh?" The strange question was so sudden Kuroko was caught off guard. What about his parents?

"Will they get in the way of our plans?" Akashi laced his fingers together and rested his chin on top of them his gaze never leaving Kuroko.

Kuroko pulled his hands out of his pockets and turned his head to the side, his blue bangs blocking the alpha's view from his expression. "My parents are always on business trips around the world. They are never home so I don't think they will be a problem." He spoke indifferently.

"Good. You are dismissed." The small alpha said moving his hands to pick up the strewn shogi pieces and set them back in their starting positions on the checkered game board. "Have Shintarou escort you back to your house. And send Daiki and Ryouta up here as well."

Having nothing else to say, Kuroko politely bowed and retreated through the double doors and out into the dark hallway. His head turned to look down both directions the hallway traveled. Which way was the main room again? Kuroko made a right, remembering the potted flower bush that was situated at the end of the hall and slowly zigzagged his way through the dark and eerie mansion. Several minutes later Kuroko could hear Kise's voice. He was whining about something and then Kuroko caught the sound of Aomine complaining about Kise's annoying voice, Midorima was heard scoffing as he told the two off. Following the voices he came to the edge of the white staircase that led to the living room. Down below he could see the flashes of a TV and quietly walked down to see what the commotion was all about.

He stopped walking as he saw Kise and Aomine positioned on a couch, game controllers settled in their hands as they vigorously pressed buttons to control the characters on the screen. Kise was practically crying as his character was beaten into the ground by Aomine who was laughing in mirth at the blonde's anguish. Midorima sat off to the side in a single chair, his arms crossed in annoyance as he watched the two squabble.

"Stop hitting me!" Kise exclaimed angrily as he stomped his foot into the ground.

Aomine chuckled at the other werewolf, ignoring him as he kept depleting the other of his health. "Well stop sucking so much. I bet even Akashi could play better than you." Kuroko watched the big flat screen as Aomine's character ended Kise's with a finishing move. "Ha!" said the dark bluenette teasingly.

"I hate this game." Kise pouted as he threw the controller on the couch and sulked. Aomine could only laugh at him and Kuroko could feel the edges of his lips turn up at the amusing scene in front of him. Who knew werewolves could be so . . . normal? It was nice to know that even supernatural creatures indulged in human things once in a while. He strolled further into the room until he stood next to the couch the quarrelling duo was on. Kise's sour face perked up upon noticing the blue eyed phantom and he gave the other a cheerful grin, no signs of having pouted a few seconds ago.

"Hey Kurokocchi, seems like you survived the alpha. I'm impressed!" Kise congratulated the smaller teen as he reached over to ruffle his hair. Kuroko stepped back, putting distance between the approaching hand and his sensitive head. Didn't Kise think before he acted? Kise made a pitiful whine as Kuroko gave him the cold shoulder.

"Akashi-kun wants to see you two." Was all he said to the blonde. Aomine glanced up at this and Kise winced, retracting his hand.

"And I thought that we could have gotten off without a punishment." Kise mumbled to himself, his face set in a grimace.

Aomine stood up and set the controller down. "Think we're going to survive as well?" he asked with a nervous smirk, walking up to the stairs. Kise followed him, waving at Kuroko as he passed the smaller bluenette and the two walked side by side up the steps.

"Hopefully he won't make us do that one thing, nothing else is worse than that." They disappeared around the corner and Kuroko could hear a smack.

"Idiot! Don't jinx us!" was heard as Aomine smacked Kise again, making the other whimper. Their voices grew faint as they walked further away.

Kuroko turned to Midorima. "Akashi-kun also wants you to take me home."

The green eyes moved to look at him before a sigh escaped Midorima's lips as he stood up. "Very well." A rumble of thunder was heard overhead and the sound shook the ground with its tremble. Midorima looked up to the high ceiling, a frown marring his face. "Let's hurry before the storm gets bad." He suggested as the first few droplets of water hit the windowpanes. It was then that Kuroko noticed all the windows in the house were closed, cutting off the nice breeze through the house. Another roar of thunder sounded as lightning flashed in the sky. Kuroko nodded his head to Midorima and followed him to the door, pausing to put on their shoes before heading out into the light drizzle of rain.

The phantom player pulled up his hood, the clothing giving him little protection as it soaked up the water. They rushed to the jeep and quickly climbed inside, closing the doors behind them and making it just in time before the rain began to pour. It made a soft drumming along the vehicle's hood and Kuroko watched as the water bounced off the car and dispersed into numerous, smaller droplets. Midorima turned the engine on and the jeep came to life with a roar, its headlights illuminating the looming mansion in front of them. Kuroko observed all the small details the house held and was once again amazed by its beauty. Not even age could taint the details engraved in the stone.

He pondered over all the previous events and felt astounded that so much had changed in so little time. To think that just yesterday he had faced three of the most dangerous predators on earth and survived. Not only that but he was saved by werewolves that only ever existed in stories. Now he had been brought to their home and was threatened yet again by the supernatural, their alpha wasn't the friendliest out there. But in the end he had somehow agreed to help them with eliminating a vampire clan, despite having absolutely no experience in fighting. He is now expected to kill without hesitance. And don't forget the fact that he is also being hunted by the vampires for whatever they are planning and has to constantly watch his back. Just how did he end up in this mess?

Kuroko closed his eyes and rested his head again the window, the view of the house vanishing behind his closed eyelids. This is definitely not the last time that he would be seeing it and he can only hope that somewhere along this path, a good thing will come out of it all. Starting now, a new chapter has been started in his life and he feared for what will happen in the future to come.

* * *

Kagami knew as soon as he opened his eyes that he had slept in. It could have been the sun shining in his eyes through the blinds that told him this, or the sight of his alarm clock blinking 7:03 at him repeatedly, but one thing was for sure, his coach was going to kill him. Kagami couldn't afford to miss any days of school. He admits that he doesn't have the best grades out there but he at least wants to keep his attendance perfect. So with a frantic rush of adrenaline, Kagami sprang from his bed, only to have the bed sheets wrap around his legs and trip him head over heels on the floor, his limbs sprawling unceremoniously around him.

He cursed a bit, rubbing his head tiredly and pulled himself to his feet. That should have been his first sign on how the morning was going to go, but Kagami being Kagami, didn't pay any attention as he rushed through his morning activities. First it started with him burning his toast, which he has never done before. Setting the plate of smoldering bread to the side with disgust, Kagami turned the stove on to begin cooking some old-fashioned scrambled eggs. As it turns out the power forward didn't have any eggs, having ran out of them the day before. So he had to unwillingly wolf down the crispy toast since he was running out of time quickly. Heading towards the bathroom, Kagami was thankful that he had taken a shower the night before and picked up his toothbrush and toothpaste to brush his teeth. But he was confused when nothing came out of the tube. Groaning at his luck Kagami searched through his cabinets knowing he had an extra tube of paste for situations like these.

Deciding to skip fixing his hair the red eyed male hurried to his room to change out of his sleepwear and shove on his school uniform. He tripped once again when his leg caught on the pants but he didn't have time to complain when his eyes glanced to the clock on his nightstand. He had to be at school in less than fifteen minutes. Stumbling out of his room while buckling his belt, Kagami tugged on his jacket since there was a forecast of rain later in the day and grabbed his schoolbag as he shoved on his shoes. Kagami yanked his door open harshly and fumbled with his keys as he tried to lock the door. Spinning around, the hotheaded teen ran down the stairs of the apartment complex, pulling his bag further up his shoulder.

Entering the streets Kagami looked down at his phone and grimaced at the ungodly time shown on the screen. He wouldn't have time to take the train so he decided on running to make it to school. Making sure that nothing would fall before he went, Kagami pushed forward with all his might, determined to make it to class on time no matter what. He dodged through traffic and crowds, not recalling a time that the street had ever been as crowded as now. He called out a few "sorry's" when he ran into people though they were lost in the air as he was already too far away for them to hear him. He let out a relieved breath when he saw the school's entrance come into view and mentally thanked Riko for all those extra trainings regimens she had him do.

Slipping through the doors the power forward swiftly walked the rest of the way to class since running inside the school was prohibited. He slowed down as reached the door to his classroom, feeling a bit out of breath from the journey. Clasping the door handle in his hand, Kagami twisted the knob and stepped inside. A glance to the clock told him that he was four minutes early and a smug grin made its way onto his face as he made his way to his seat next to the window. He collapsed on his chair and suppressed a yawn when the classroom's boring atmosphere began sinking into him. Sometimes he wished that he didn't have to go to school. What was the point of learning all these things if he wasn't going to use them? Kagami was pretty sure that he was going to play basketball professionally when he got out of high school. Wanting to use the last remaining minutes to talk Kagami shifted in his seat to complain to his shadow about his rough morning.

But when he turned around to face the small bluenette he was surprised to see the phantom passed out on his desk. Kuroko never slept in class, or at least he's never seen the smaller do it. It was worrying as he studied the slumped appearance Kuroko held. His hand was propped up on the table and his chin resting inside it but his body leaned almost sideways, as if his arm couldn't take the weight. And his shoulders were slumped as he sagged in his seat, not having the strength to stay upright. Soft breathing was the only sound coming from the invisible teen as his eyes were hidden behind light blue strands.

Kagami lifted his hand to the other's shoulder, gently shaking it in his grasp. "Oi, Kuroko, wake up." He told the other with concern written across his features. Why was the little shadow so worn out? Did something happen? It took a few more shakes before Kuroko started to rouse. A frown contorted his pale skin before Kuroko blinked his tired blue eyes up at Kagami.

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked as he pulled his hands up to rub at his crusted eyes. Kagami retracted his hand back and watched the other become more aware of his surroundings, keeping silent throughout the event. "Did I fall asleep?" Kuroko question, his eyes confused as he looked at his classmates, noticing that there was a lot more than before.

Kagami nodded his head lightly. "Yeah, you were passed out. What happened Kuroko?" Kagami replied with his own question. It was unlike Kuroko to show so much exhaustion. Usually the small teen suffered without telling anyone, keeping silent throughout anything. It was this that made Kagami ask him what had happened, because the other wouldn't tell him unless directly asked. "Are you okay?"

Kuroko gained a hint of confusion on his face before tensing up as his eyes stared off into space blankly. "I ̶ "

"Alright class, settle down!" Kuroko was interrupted by the teacher and Kagami gave him one last look before turning around in his seat. He started to unpack his bag and bring out his books. He'll ask him about it later he decided. Maybe it was best to discuss this after school; something told him that this wasn't to be taken lightly.

The class was boring as usual. And a few subjects after the teacher decided to surprise them with a pop-quiz. Kagami had groaned along with most of the class, not liking the idea of taking any extra tests. He tried to concentrate on his work but his mind kept wondering back to Kuroko. Something was definitely bothering the little shadow and Kagami was determined to find out what had Kuroko on edge. Hopefully it was something that he could help him out with. Eight hours later, the day found Kagami stuffing his books back into his bag, intent on leaving the stuffy classroom as quickly as possible. He secured the bag closed before he turned around to speak with Kuroko. But once again he was left confused as he found the seat to be empty this time, with no Kuroko to be seen.

Kagami rushed out of the room, dancing around other students as he tried to find a unique mop of light blue hair amongst the crowd. It wasn't until he got to the entrance of the school that he finally spotted the bluenette walking through the gate of the school grounds. He called his name as he jogged to catch up to the smaller teen. Hearing his name made the shadow jump and Kagami frowned when he watched the other's reaction. _Did Kuroko get into a fight?_ He wondered. Were bullies picking on him? Kagami clenched his teeth in anger at the thought. How could anyone treat Kuroko that way?! He'll kill the bastard who thought that bullying someone as polite as Kuroko was fun. No one messed with his shadow and got away with it.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" he bluntly asked as he caught up to Kuroko and continued down the street beside him. They were silent for a few blocks. Kagami kept glancing over to the shorter teen who had retained his eyes on the ground for most of the walk. Kagami new that Kuroko didn't talk much but the short silence from the bluenette was starting to unease him. He looked up as they crossed a familiar street and eagerly pointed at the fast food restaurant on the corner. "Hey, do you want to go to Maji Burger and talk about it?" he offered, attempting to get the phantom player to say something.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko started, his monotone voice giving nothing away, "I just want to go home."

Kagami's face fell at the other's words. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stepped in front of the shadow, blocking his path. "Look, I'm trying to help you. Something is obviously bothering you and I just want to see what's going on, can't a best friend help?" he asked as he looked down to the see the other's expression. His words didn't seem to persuade Kuroko's decision though when all Kuroko did was set a frown firmly on his face. He let out a breath of air, annoyed with how difficult his shadow was being and rubbed his head, his fingers tousling the hair to an even more disheveled state. "I'll buy you a vanilla milkshake." He bribed with one last attempt to make the other agree.

Kuroko narrowed his eyes at him. Kagami will admit that was a low blow but it was the only thing he could think of to get the other to at least try to talk to him.

Kuroko sighed as he sidestepped Kagami and changed his direction to the restaurant. "Fine." Was the short reply he got. Kagami grinned victoriously and followed his teammate into the building, a small bounce in his step. Kuroko headed over to their usual table once they entered while Kagami waited in line to order their food. It didn't take very long before the hotheaded teen was carrying a tray, the top piled with an insane amount of food for just one person. He got a few weird looks as he maneuvered through the tables, expertly balancing the food in his hands. He set the tray down and picked up the vanilla milkshake as he handed it over to the quiet bluenette. He received an almost inaudible thanks from Kuroko.

Kagami didn't say any words, deciding to let the bluenette speak when he was ready as he sat down from across him and began to unwrap his first burger. Kuroko ripped the wrapping off of his straw, stabbing the plastic into the cup and took a few sips from the cold beverage, his eyes distant as he looked out into the busy street. From afar nothing would seem unusual about the small teen but Kagami had this sixth sense prickling under his skin, telling him that even though he couldn't see it, there was definitely something bothering the phantom player. Kuroko wasn't someone who would willingly talk about his feelings unless asked or forced to and Kagami didn't want to have to resort to something so drastic. So he left the other to his own thoughts, waiting for the cerulean eyed phantom to tell him what's on his mind. It wasn't until he had finished his eighth burger did Kuroko open his mouth.

It was a sigh. But it was the only thing that the smaller had voiced the whole time they've been sitting there so it was at least a start. Kagami raised his eyes to the bluenette, becoming a bit impatient at the time that had passed already. But he knew that he couldn't make the other feel rushed or expected to tell him anything or else he could accidently push him away. Kagami knew that talking about situations like these were difficult for someone as socially inept as Kuroko, it took a minute for the shadow to say the right words. He swallowed the food in his mouth as Kuroko closed his eyes and turned to face him, his head brought down to look at the table in front of them. He stared at all the crumpled wrappings placed around the tray from Kagami finishing each burger, a contemplative expression taking place on his features.

"Have you ever been placed into a situation where everything is completely foreign to you?" the question was so quiet that Kagami had to strain his ears a bit to hear the small shadow. Kagami pulled a face and brought a hand up to rub the back of his head perplexed.

"Well, yeah," he grunted, tilting his head to the side as he remembered certain things from his past. "I mean, I had moved to another country without really knowing what to expect. To be honest I wasn't prepared in the least for something like that." He continued as he took another bite out of his meal. Moving to America was a scary impact on his younger self. They had moved there so suddenly for his dad's job that he didn't have time to prepare himself for the situation. Within one week Kagami had found himself standing in front of a new class of kids, all of them staring at him as he stuttered in a language he barely even knew. It wasn't easy being the foreign kid who couldn't even speak properly. He glanced down to the frowning phantom who looked to be pondering over something intently. "But it all worked out in the end." He rushed to say. He set his burger down. "Why the sudden question?"

Kuroko looked startled as if he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "No reason Kagami-kun." Came a hasty reply. "I've just been thinking about some things is all." He tried to persuade the concerned Kagami but failed when all it did was make the hotheaded teen furrow his split eyebrows in confusion. Kuroko turned silent again as his brought the straw to his lips and took a tentative drink of his milkshake, avoiding Kagami's gaze by watching people pass the restaurant from outside.

"Seriously Kuroko, you can tell me what's bothering you. I'll try to help in any way I can." Kagami pushed again, not backing down from trying to found out what was clouding Kuroko's thoughts.

"What do you know about the supernatural?"

Kagami blinked in bewilderment. "Eh?" was all that came out of his mouth, stunned from the weird question that was spoken by the phantom player.

Kuroko shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with the topic but persistent nonetheless. "I mean, what are your thoughts about vampires or werewolves? Things like that."

Kagami felt his eyebrows crease together at the incredulity of it all. Was this something that had to do with one of Kuroko's books? Kagami knew that the bluenette liked to read stories but he thought that he preferred the mysteries and nonfictional tales. Never had he heard of Kuroko reading such fantasies. Why would he have such an interest now? The red haired male leaned back in his seat, rubbing a hand over his eye.

"Well, I guess I haven't given it much thought. They are just fairytales after all." He replied honestly, reaching over to pick up his drink he had gotten. The soda slipped past his lips before he spoke again. "Why do you want to know?" he questioned the other as he leaned his head against his palm.

"I-" Kuroko shook his head and placed the empty milkshake cup on the table, his eyes trailing down to the floor. "It's nothing. Never mind." Kuroko abruptly stood up and brushed his clothes, stepping around the table as he pulled his schoolbag on his shoulder. "Thank you Kagami-kun for the milkshake but I'm afraid I have to leave now."

"What? W-wait!" Kagami said as tried to stand up but his foot caught on one of the legs of the table. He tripped, almost sprawling on the floor again before racing out of the restaurant to catch his friend. "Kuroko!" he called out in the crowded streets but the bluenette was nowhere to be seen.

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**So tell me what you guys think and point out any grammar mistakes to me because I'm pretty sure I missed a few. Proof reading your own work is hard! Don't forget to review, you guys are awesome!  
**

**Until next week~**


	6. Chapter 6: The Secrets of Pasts

**Hello! I'm so sorry for the long overdue update. I just realized that I still have so many things I need to fill out for the plot and I've been trying to write them down on paper before I get further into the story. I didn't get to proofread this one so I'm sorry for all my errors! I'll proofread it later when I'm not so tired. Aish, the chapters just keep getting longer! Anyways, here is the new chapter so enjoy! **

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**Chapter 6: The Secrets of Pasts **

Turquoise eyes stared blankly down at the street below him. His face was emotionless, not one sign of the thoughts plaguing his mind coming to the surface. The moon's light cast down on him from above, the silver color making his white hair stand out even more in the darkness around him. The strands were messy, as if he didn't have the time in the morning to brush them and the long bangs fell over his face, shadowing his eyes and framing his pale jaw. He sat on the ledge of a roof with one leg hanging off the side, the stars above all but gone from the heavy overhang of storm clouds as he rested his head against his knee. If looked at from afar, he would appear to be a statue, forever frozen in time as life continued below him. The only thing giving him away was the eerie way his eyes seemed to reflect the light of the city below him.

It might have seemed pointless to sit in the chilly air as the time neared close to midnight, but the albino was waiting for someone. He glanced down to his wrist which had a ratty and worn watch clasped around it. The time read two minutes till twelve, it wouldn't be long now. He narrowed his eyes as he watched a few people cross the street from the few stories it was to the ground. His chest tightened as he saw them laugh and smile, not having a care in the world. He clenched his fist as jealously corrupted his heart. Oh, how he wished he could feel that way. To not have to worry about what the day could bring, having to fight to survive and dreading on whether or not he'll be alive the next day. He sighed to himself, relaxing his tense muscles. _It is only a matter of time._ He tried to calm his heated thoughts as a flash of a smiling six-year-old came to mind. He touched the loose necklace clasped around his neck, a small crescent moon charm fastened around it.

"Report."

The demand was quick and sharp, perfectly fitting of the man who spoke it. Kei stood up from his place and turned to bow deeply at the young man who was standing a few feet away. He calculated the way his leader's face was set into a deep scowl, the lines in his face becoming more prominent in the light. His clothes were crisp and clean, not one wrinkle could be seen on the expensive black suit he wore and the only color present on the ravenette was the glaring red of his eyes, the indication that his place of power was far above Kei's own. The albino straightened when the leader waved a hand at him in a dismissing manor, and folded his arms behind his back as he stared into the harsh red color of his eyes.

"Takumi-sama," he formally addressed him. "The abduction of Kuroko Tetsuya was a fail." He spoke bluntly, his voice emotionless as his eyes gazed coldly at Takumi, the depths of the turquoise eyes void and impassive. "The team sent out to capture the innocent were interrupted and then killed by two werewolves who were later identified as being a part of Akashi Seijūrō's pack." Kei watched how the leader's face contorted into several mixed emotions. Although it was hard to decipher just what the ravenette was feeling, a strong sense of killing intent was beginning to thicken the surrounding air. Kei never took his eyes off the man as his muscles tensed, waiting for the leader to snap any moment. But after a few seconds the red-eyed male closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Kei was unperturbed by his leader's actions, having grown used to them over the years and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"Do they know of our plans?" was Takumi's stiff reply and as he opened his mouth the light from the city caught his teeth and Kei could clearly see the abnormal and elongated fangs peeking from his lips. Kei swallowed thickly, never liking the sight of the vampire's sharp canines and shook his head from side to side.

"I don't believe so." He answered honestly, his own voice rigid from the tension the vampire leader was producing. "But they now have him under close inspection. Akashi isn't taking any risks and has ordered to keep Kuroko Tetsuya within the pack's vicinity. I wouldn't doubt someone of Akashi's caliber to figure out our plans soon." He narrowed his eyes after the last sentence. It was always those pesky werewolves getting in the way of their plans. Even though they were a constant nuisance, Kei has learned not to underestimate the werewolf tribe that lived on the outskirts of the city. The albino would be lying if he said he didn't acknowledge the strength the mutts contained. Out of all the werewolf packs in Japan, Akashi's pack was the most well-known. For their pack harbored the most monstrous-like beasts out there, never had Kei seen such powerful werewolves until he had caught a glimpse of them.

"That damned mongrel always gets in the way." Takumi spat, the obvious anger poisoning his voice. It is known that the two are feral enemies, always finding a dispute between them. Of course, just having two powerful supernatural clans in the same area is bad enough, especially for two creatures already rivaled through history. Having a werewolf pack and vampire clan living in the same city would always cause problems. It was just a matter of who slipped first.

"Takumi-sama," Kei started, not liking the way the vampire's heated stare seemed to burn holes through him. "What shall we do now?" his voice was steady, not betraying an ounce of his uneasiness under the leader's gaze. Takumi sighed and walked to stand next to the albino teen, his eyes watching the slumbering city before them. Kei turned around and copied the vampire leader, his eyes looking across the vast expanse of buildings and streets. A few miles away, the sight of the central part of the city could be seen, with its taller buildings clustered closer together and the bright lights radiating from it. Kei didn't like going to the middle of the city, having grown uneasy with being around human presence.

A breath of air escaped Takumi's lips. "Can you imagine . . . Kei," he spoke softly, his words almost being lost by the wind, "what it would be like to live life without having to hide? To not have to constantly worry about your life or whether or not you'll make it to see the end of the day." Kei fumbled with the necklace around his neck subconsciously, the charm small and cheap but held so much meaning to him.

"I-" Kei stopped, his answer frozen on his tongue. Could he imagine what that would be like? A flash of bright eyes and a large smile crossed his mind, a small hand holding out his necklace as a gift. Kei's lips turned at the corners, forming a genuine smile but fell when terrified turquoise filled his thoughts, the sounds of horrified screams bombarded his ears and the feeling of a body turning cold in his arms came once again. Kei shook his head harshly, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to will the unwanted memories back into the far corners of his mind. He decided to keep silent, not trusting himself to speak in front of the vampire as his chest throbbed in painful reminiscences.

Takumi glanced over when Kei remained silent and sighed as he found the teen clutching his necklace tightly, his fingerless-gloved hands shaking faintly while signs of agony flashed across his face. "Tell them to stay put. Do not engage the enemy or attempt to retrieve the pure one. The werewolves have the upper hand with Kuroko Tetsuya in their grasp. Let us wait for the time being and strike when they least expect it." He placed a comforting hand on the albino teen's shoulder before moving towards the exit on the roof. He grasped the doorknob and closed his eyes. "You know, he would have wanted you to live life to the fullest." Takumi said, knowing that Kei would understand his words. "Perhaps now is the time we stop going through the motions. Once the three have been resurrected, we won't have to live like outsiders anymore."

The vampire vanished into the building, his footsteps echoing down the stairs, leaving the small teen alone on the roof once again. Kei sighed and sat back down on the ledge of the building, resting his head on his knee and swinging his foot listlessly in the air as it dangled over the edge. The chilly wind flew through the air, caressing his cheeks gently even though it slightly bit into his skin. He stared at the crescent moon that was high in the sky and watched as the clouds began to slowly cover it. It wasn't long before the night was casted into darkness and the first few raindrops fell from the sky. _Is this what my brother would have wanted? _He wondered as lightning flashed in the sky and thunder rumbled the ground.

* * *

Kuroko was relieved to finally arrive home after the long and boring day of school. Most of the day had been review for the upcoming tests they had at the end of the week. So, having read through the chapters earlier, Kuroko had spent most of the day daydreaming about his run-in with the werewolves and vampires. Looking back on it now, the sane side of his mind was having a hard time processing that everything that happened even existed. Somehow the exchange between him and the supernatural myths were a bit too much for his brain to handle; the whole ordeal seemed like a distant and surreal dream now. But when he moved a certain way or accidentally managed to have something touch the back of his head, he was sorely reminded that his injuries were anything but fake.

During class the small bluenette couldn't help but let his thoughts constantly trail back to the dangerous werewolves. It was strange to know that all this time he had been in Tokyo there were other residents who weren't even human living not too far away. It made him wonder whether or not he had anyone of the supernatural race in his school. He had caught himself once or twice staring at other teens who were eating their lunch to see if any fangs decided to pop out or if they would start growling like wild animals over their food. Kagami had given him a weird look when he had asked him about what it would be like to live in a different world. The hotheaded teen had dismissed his question, probably thinking he had his head too far into his books again and changed the subject.

Kuroko knew that Kagami was still worrying over him, but the shadow had a feeling that if he were to tell Kagami exactly what happened, Akashi would kill them both. It left an unpleasant feeling in his stomach when he thought about how much power the one werewolf alpha had over his life. The idea was constantly clouding his head and now that he knew other vampires wanted his head for something a sense of foreboding always seemed to plague him wherever he went, like no place was safe. It was hard to fall asleep after the run-in with the bloody battle still fresh in his eyes. He had been having nightmares every time he closed his eyes and just the thought of reliving those gruesome moments had left him wide awake for most of the nights. It wasn't until he had gone two days with almost no sleep that his body finally gave in and passed out. Now the bluenette was feeling exhaustion starting to catch up to him and was determined to fall asleep tonight.

The small phantom player dropped his bag next to the door and slid off his shoes, the quiet house echoing his soft noises as he made his way to the kitchen for a drink. Even though the day had been immensely boring, the sun had finally been left alone from the brigade of storm clouds and had been able to shine without problem, to which Kuroko was grateful for. It had been a while since he was able to feel the sun on him and the chilly spring days of no sun were now induced to a warm and light breeze, making Kuroko wish that he could take off his jacket.

He grabbed a glass from the cabinets and filled the cup with cold water from the fridge, the clear liquid reflecting the light that was shining through the large windows across the room. He took a few sips, relishing in the feeling of the water cooling his parched throat. He had drank lots of water throughout the week like Midorima told him to and it helped with the headaches he had been getting when he read the words in his textbooks, his worn eyes finding the small letters too difficult to read for the time being. It was a good thing that he mostly drank water anyways, so the change of beverage wasn't too drastic. Of course, he couldn't help himself to a vanilla milkshake here and there but he was sure that the doctor wouldn't mind.

Just as he was about to finish his drink a loud knock broke the silence of the house, starling the small phantom player from his thoughts. Kuroko waited, his body stock still as his ears strained to find who was knocking at his door. The banging sounded again even louder this time, making the bluenette tense his muscles as fear began to cloud his mind. The person on the other side of the door tried the knob and it jiggled in their grasp as they attempted to open it. Kuroko sucked in a breath, fearing for the worst as his mind created a state in which the one knocking on his door was a vampire, having finally found where he lived and were here to take him away. Another series of knocks sounded but this time they were accompanied by a boisterous voice.

"Oi, Kuroko! Answer the door damn it!" Kuroko blinked before he rushed over to the door upon recognizing the voice and opened it quickly to see the annoyed face of his best friend, Kagami Taiga. His face was set into a frown as his red eyes scrutinized the small bluenette closely. Kuroko shuffled back a few steps, allowing Seirin's ace to step into his house. The phantom player closed the door behind the red head, keeping a tight grip on his glass of water as he locked the door and turned to face his best friend. Kagami stood with his arms crossed, his eyes flickering everywhere besides Kuroko's gaze, as if he was hiding something.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow at the ace's conspicuous actions and cleared his throat. "Is there something you want Kagami-kun?" he asked, his eyes blank as he stared at the taller teen in return. Kagami heaved a sigh and rubbed a hand across his face, his features softening slightly.

"Look, I'm-er . . ." his gaze drifted towards the ground as he struggled to find the right words to say. "Sorry if I said anything to upset you these past few days. I didn't mean to pry into your business so forcefully. I get it if you don't want to talk to me or anything but I just came here to apologize in person-you know since you haven't been answering any of my texts or calls and stuff . . . ." his words were becoming slurred together as the power forward continued to talk faster, his cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment from the apology. "B-but I just thought that I should tell you that I didn't mean any harm a-and I'll try to make up for anything-"

"Kagami-kun has no need to apologize to me." Kuroko interrupted the stuttering teen with a wave of his hand. The ace opened his mouth, about to protest but the stern glare from the phantom player shut the power forward up. "I wasn't ignoring you, Kagami-kun." Kuroko began to elaborate. "My phone has been recently lost and I haven't had the time to buy a new one."

"I-but . . ." Kagami started, feeling a bit lost at the sudden clarity of the situation. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing up the already tousled strands more as his split eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "So, you mean . . . you didn't ignore me all this time?" Kuroko refrained from rolling his eyes but nodded his head to answer the red head's question. Kagami scratched his cheek, a crooked smile forming on his lips. "Does that mean you weren't mad at me before then?"

Kuroko crossed his arms though it was awkward with the glass still in his hold. "I am still annoyed by Kagami-kun's attempt to meddle into my personal life." Kuroko quipped unsympathetically as he watched Kagami's face fall. Even if the remark stabbed Kagami Kuroko wasn't about to take it back. It was true that he didn't enjoy the endless prying of the taller teen about what had happened last week. It had grown to be bothersome at the consistent questions pouring from the ace's mouth. If only Kuroko could tell the red head the truth so that he would stop interrogating him like a detective. But as his mind drifted back to the harsh gaze of the alpha, he suddenly remembered why it was a good idea in the first place to keep his words to himself.

"Uh, that reminds me." Kagami began, still feeling ashamed by the other's statement. Who knew that the little teen held so much impact with just his words? "I also came here to invite you to come eat at Maji Burger with the team and me. You had left so suddenly after school that I didn't get the chance to ask. So, would you like to come?" the hotheaded teen asked hopefully, all but forgetting the previous conversation. Kuroko could feel the tips of his lips lift at the other's short attentive span. It was a wonder that the power forward even had the concentration to play basketball, something that irked the bluenette occasionally. Kagami must have taken Kuroko's silence as a negative response and frowned again, his shoulders slumping. "Alright, I get it. See you tomor-"

"Sure." Kuroko broke the other's sentence once again. Kagami grinned cheekily at his response and held out his fist towards the shadow.

"We're all good?" Kagami asked. Kuroko couldn't stop from rolling his eyes this time but raised his own fist nonetheless.

"We're all good, Kagami-kun." He replied as he gently hit Kagami's hand for a fist-bump, a small smile painted on his face. "I'll meet you outside. I still have to change out of my uniform." The lithe bluenette told the taller and as he passed Kagami he set the glass of water down on the coffee table before he headed down the hall towards his room. He heard the front door open and close, signaling that Kagami had gone outside to wait for him upon his request. He gave another amused smile as he shook his head at his friend's antics. He entered his room and swiftly pulled off his school uniform, throwing the clothes into the hamper as he trudged to his closet and began to search for new attire. After flipping through a few hangers he decided on a pair of jeans that looked somewhat presentable- the denim had a few small tears here and there and the bluenette was once again reminded of how he needed to go clothes shopping in the future.

Slipping on the jeans, the teen went back to fishing out a shirt from his messy closet that really needed a cleaning out. Finally coming across a neatly folded flannel shirt that was stuffed into his dresser drawer, Kuroko pulled the red and gray plaid patterned shirt over his head and fastened the buttons that lined the top. He turned off his bedroom light, closing the door behind him as he strode down the dimly lit hallway and into the living room. He leaned down next to his schoolbag, digging through the various pockets as he tried to find his keys. Finding the metal object, Kuroko stood back up only to come face to face with his reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall in front of him. He frowned, shifting closer to the glass to get a better view of his face.

A small smudge could be seen just over his eyebrow. The discoloration of his skin could be seen under the foundation of the makeup he had put on to hide his bruising from his friends. He raised a hand to rub the concealer back into place. His shirt must have rubbed it off when he was changing. Kuroko wasn't one to wear makeup nor care much about his physical appearance in general, but he knew that if he showed up to school with his black and blue face all of his teammates would throw a fit until he told them who hurt him. Not that it would help much seeing as they were already dead. So, in order to prevent his overprotective friends from finding out he had resorted to using a bit of his mother's makeup she had stashed in her bathroom. He was sure she wouldn't mind and it wasn't like he took a lot.

Kuroko examined the rest of his face to ensure that no bruises were showing and ran a hand through his hair, messing up the bangs to hide his cut forehead from sight. It was tiresome to have to constantly check his appearance throughout the day so that he could make sure no one found out about the beating he had taken. Not only that but abstaining from basketball practice was even harder and took a lot of creative lies in which he would have to call in absent for the day. Riko had been watching him like a hawk the past few days and it was in times like these that he was thankful he had misdirection. Taking one last gander at himself, the phantom player turned off the lights and exited his house. He made sure to lock the door before marching down the long, narrow hallway and rode the elevator to the ground floor. He said a polite hello to Daisuke who greeted him along the way and took a deep breath of cool air as he made it outside.

"Geez, what took you so damn long?" Kagami's berating voice filled his ears and Kuroko glanced annoyed over to the tall redhead as they walked to their favorite fast food restaurant side-by-side. "I thought only girls took that long to get ready." Kagami lifted his arms and placed his hands over his head giving Kuroko a perfect view of his exposed torso. Taking the chance, the small bluenette narrowed his cerulean eyes and raised his arm before jabbing the other in his ribcage without warning, making Kagami jump in the air as he let out an undignified squawk.

"Kagami-kun should learn to keep his rude comments to himself." Kuroko chastised the ace player though an amused glint reflected in his eyes. Kagami rubbed his abused stomach and gave the shadow a lighthearted glare before he raised his own hands as if to grab the small shadow.

"What was that?" Kagami asked stiffly, his large hand reaching over to grab Kuroko's forehead. But the phantom player didn't give him the chance to seize him as he ducked under the appendage and took off down the street. Kagami almost face planted when he attempted to grab Kuroko and was met with void space, the presence of the lithe bluenette nowhere to be found when he leaned a bit too far over to catch him and lost his balance. The ace stumbled a bit, looking up just in time to catch the glimpse of Kuroko's back disappearing into the crowd. He grinned in glee, his red eyes blazing in challenge as the smaller teen ran ahead to the restaurant. Pushing forward with a burst of speed, Seirin's ace cut through the crowded streets after the shadow, determined to reach the fast-food restaurant first.

Compared to their usual fifteen minute walk it was to Maji Burger the time was cut in half from their increased speed, their journey only taking them a winning record of almost seven minutes. Of course, the relentless exertion from the run had left them a little breathless by the time they got to the building where their team waited. Kagami was a bit discouraged from the fact that Kuroko had beat him there, but after thinking about it, the conclusion should have come to no surprise since the bluenette could easily slip through the swarming streets of Tokyo unnoticed. Kagami had been repeatedly stopped or intercepted by other people while trying to catch up to the smaller teen, leaving him irritated. Kuroko couldn't help but rub salt into the wounds of his friend, teasing him about his defeat and finding it amusing that the ace had so easily lost against him.

They entered the restaurant together, both being spotted by Furihata quickly and then ushered to sit down at the large table near the back of the room. Their teammates greeted them joyously and they found themselves swiftly sucked into the conversations of the team. Kuroko couldn't say that he wasn't glad to be there, it beat sitting in a cold house any day, but throughout their conversations Kuroko could feel the intense gaze of Riko as she watched him from across the table. He guessed she was still suspicious of his sudden numerous absents from practice lately. Thankfully today wasn't a day they had practice, so he didn't have any reason to conjure up another lie. Kuroko felt his body slump in aversion, he never did like lying. Trust was one of the hardest things to receive from someone, and here he was tearing apart his team's belief about his absence from practice just so that he could keep another lie from them. Kuroko sighed, placing his elbow on the table as he took an unenthusiastic drink from his newly arrived milkshake. Somehow, it felt like this was only the beginning of his problems.

Kuroko listened quietly to the talkative conversations around him, wincing every now and again when the volume of his teammates grew too loud. After a few topic discussions the conversation eventually turned into their latest practice match where something had happened. Kuroko frowned as Izuki was bombarded with several questions regarding his health. It would seem that the point guard had fallen yesterday in the heat of a practice game and had landed hard on his left wrist. He had to quit the match halfway through because his wrist had doubled in size and was preventing him from performing any moves with it. He later had to be sent home when the pain didn't subside and continued to get worse. All his teammates were worried for him and Kuroko berated himself that he hadn't been there to help Izuki. It was now more than ever that he wished his injuries would heal quickly so that he could be with his team.

Izuki tried to convince the others that his hand was in fact fine, showing the appendage to the concerned eyes that were pasted on most everyone's face. Kuroko tore his eyes away from Izuki when he saw that there was a dark purple bruise lacing the other's wrist. It was no longer swollen but the discoloration of the skin proved to tell that it must have hurt badly when he fell on it. It was a relief that the point guard hadn't broken the wrist but it wasn't hard to tell that he probably wouldn't be able to play properly for a while until it healed. Izuki caught Kuroko's eye when the phantom player retreated his gaze from the injured wrist and took the chance to start a conversation with the quiet shadow, much to Kuroko's chagrin.

"Kuroko, why haven't you been at practice lately? We've all been missing you." Izuki asked from across the table, loud enough for everyone to hear. The question caught the team's interest as other conversation died and they all looked to Kuroko expectantly. Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Hadn't the coach informed them all of his recent absences? Kuroko glanced to Riko with a silent question as to why they didn't know but only received a small shrug and a guilty look from the girl. Apparently she had forgotten to voice the explanation to the other team members.

Kuroko sighed in annoyance as he realized he'll have to tell them all the same lie he told Riko. He raked his brain trying to remember what he had told the coach to allow him from practice. "I'm sorry for my absence Izuki-kun but I've had personal problems come up with my family." He couldn't meet the searching gaze of the eagle-eyed player when Izuki narrowed his eyes at him. Izuki's stare practically pierced through his very being as he tried to tell if he was lying or not. Kuroko shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew it was all but futile to try and lie to the point guard, Izuki may be terrible at jokes but his intelligence and calculating observations were incredibly accurate. Kuroko just hoped that his usual stoic expression could win him this one.

The passing stare-down lasted only a few seconds but they felt like an eternity before Izuki smiled at him once more. Kuroko internally sighed in relief when Izuki bought his lie though he didn't drop his guard when he saw a suspicion glint still remaining in his dark grey eyes.

"Your family? What are they like?" Koganei asked excitedly as he leaned further into the center of the table to get a better look at the quiet bluenette. "This is the first time I've heard of them." Several others nodded their heads in agreement, also curious about the mysterious family Kuroko seemed to have. Kuroko was at a loss for words. He didn't plan on describing his family to his friends and would rather keep them out of any discussion if possible. The phantom player didn't like to bring up his parents who had all but abandoned him in his early life. His thoughts were always excruciating as the conversation would bring painful memories back from the darkest corners of his mind. He had taken great care in trying to forget about his parents.

"My parents?" Kuroko repeated to himself slowly, struggling to find an appropriate answer. What would he even say? That they were the best parents anyone could ask for? Or that they were just average parents that everyone else had? He definitely couldn't tell them about how they constantly avoided him and were always gone. He didn't want to see them look at him with any type of sympathy. It was the worst when people found out about his family and decided that he needed their pity. He didn't think he could see another day if his friends were to start treating him differently just because they knew about his less than generous parents.

"Yeah, your parents. I've never seen them before at the school or any of our games. Do they work a lot or something?" Hyūga pushed the questioned further.

Kagami stared at the small phantom who kept shifting around in his seat, no doubt uncomfortable by the other's prying. Kagami knew that Kuroko didn't take well to being put in the middle of the spot light especially when it concerned certain things that had to do with his personal life. And talking about his family was definitely something that Kuroko would rather steer clear of. Kagami knew about the other's predicament with his parents. Though finding out had been pretty tricky in the first place, even if Kagami was Kuroko's best friend he too had trouble with discussing his parents with him. So Kagami decided that he would save his friend and change the subject. But as he was about to say something to protect Kuroko he felt his words die on his tongue upon realizing the phantom was nowhere to be seen.

He turned his head frantically around the room, eyes searching for the pale blue hair that was unmistakably Kuroko's but frowned when he couldn't see the lithe teen anywhere in the crowded restaurant. Had their questions bothered Kuroko that much that he would flee the area? The looks on his team member's faces proved that they were thinking the same thing when they also noticed that Kuroko was nowhere in sight. Kagami slouched in his seat feeling miserable as his friend left him yet again. Sometimes, it annoyed Kagami when Kuroko used his misdirection on them.

Kuroko felt relieved when he was free from the suffocating questions having gone out into the street. He usually wouldn't abandon them like that but amidst their conversation Kuroko's eye had caught the familiar faces of the werewolves who he had met a few days ago. They were standing across the street, both wearing sleeveless jackets with their hoods up but Kuroko could clearly see the glowing eyes behind the shadows. Kuroko didn't know how to react upon seeing Kise and Aomine again, but when Aomine raised his hand impatiently to wave it towards him Kuroko blinked at the realization that they wanted him to meet them. So making sure to take a few last gulps of his milkshake Kuroko rose from his seat and escaped the restaurant undetected. Kuroko had to admit that in circumstances like this it was quiet convenient to have misdirection. Kuroko walked up to the two werewolves and was promptly squeezed to death by the childish Kise.

"Kurokocchi I've missed you!" the blonde exclaimed loudly as he engulfed the smaller teen in his arms. Kuroko winced at the volume of the copycat and pulled at the arms surrounding his shoulders, forcing Kise to drop his embrace. Kuroko patted down his ruffled clothes ignoring the crestfallen frown Kise had plastered on his face from the bluenette's indifference.

Kuroko stepped back from the clingy teen. "Could Kise-kun please refrain from touching me needlessly?" Kuroko asked evenly. Kuroko's face was set into his usual deadpan look and Kise pouted to himself mumbling something about him being so cold. Kuroko raised an eyebrow at him but decided not to inform him on the fact that he was still injured and the hug had put pressure on his sensitive bruises. From what he had gathered so far about Kise's personality, the blonde would surely forget within the next few minutes.

"Yeah, Kise, hands off. No one likes your annoying habits." Aomine said as he pushed the blonde out of his way so that he could step closer to the small phantom. Kuroko mentally thanked the azure-eyed werewolf as Kise crossed his arms and abstained from any other attempts to touch him though the blonde's face was set into an annoyed scowl. "I mean the only one who should be able to touch him is me. Right Tetsu?" Aomine asked with a smirk, running his hand through the other's hair and making the strands stick up. Kuroko held back a twist of pain trying to appear on his features and smacked the offending hand away from his sore head. _Like you're any better. _Kuroko thought. Aomine didn't seem as bothered by Kuroko's rejection as Kise and simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Why are you here?" Kuroko inquired as he smoothed his pair blue locks down on his head. He looked up to peer at Aomine's face for an answer but squinted his eyes when the sun from behind the taller blinded him. He wasn't used to having the sun out, the cloudy weather had become something of the usual lately and his eyes were sensitive to the unaccustomed light.

Aomine looked around his eyes searching for something before he turned back to the shorter bluenette. "I'll tell you on the way. But for now we should really get going." The dark bluenette gestured behind him in the direction Kuroko recognized as the way to Akashi's house. Kise nodded his head in agreement, spinning around to lead the way through the sparsely crowded streets. Kuroko followed them, his mind trailing back to his last conversation with the officious alpha. Since it has already been a week from then, Kuroko reasoned that the werewolves were here to bring him back so that they could start his training with him. The idea made the teen pick up his pace, a spark of interest running through him at the thought of learning more about the mysterious supernatural creatures. It wasn't everyday he got to learn the truth about the things that were only told in stories.

* * *

The werewolf alpha stood still in the middle of a small meadow, the sides of the grassy clearing lined with tall trees. Their leaves covered the sky above him cutting the sunlight seeping through into pieces and bathing him in a cryptic pattern. His eyes were shut tight and a look of high concentration was etched into the redhead's face as he attempted to relax his mind, a deep breath being released from his slightly parted lips. His body was rigid, his arms bent at his sides while his hands were clenched into loose fists. His feet were spread far apart and his body dipped low to the earth beneath him. His weight was distributed evenly between his two sides, his feet planted firmly into the ground as he continued to hold the strenuous position. His clothes were thin and light, made to bend and stretch for convenient flexibility. And his hands and feet were wrapped in grey bandages, a traditional sparring uniform to protect him from breaking any bones and cushion his blows for sparring.

He made no sound as he stood still, silence washing over him from the quiet forest and a cool breeze caressed him softly. And with one twitch of his fingers, Akashi sprung into a complicated aikido practice. His hands and feet glided around him as he spun and flipped, looking as if he was performing a sophisticated dance rather than an old form of martial arts. Not once did he open his eyes as he threw punch after punch at an invisible enemy, kicking out with all his might and showing a skilled act of perfect balance. No movement was wasted and his body showed no hints of strain as it performed fluid and smooth attacks that seemed almost incapable of one so small. Akashi ended with his hands spread out before him, palms out wide and his right leg stretched out behind him.

Even after executing the vigorous forms perfectly the redheaded alpha's breathing remained normal and level, the only signs of stress being the thin sweat beginning to form over his pale skin. But as the werewolf held the position, his features began to twitch in slight discomfort as something of his past memories started to resurface. Akashi shook his head, trying to push down the unwanted thoughts as he brought a fierce kick to the air, the act so fast that an untrained eye wouldn't have been able to catch it. With that he began another series of forms though this one entirely different as he swiftly dealt one attack after the other, not one pause between his assaults to the emptiness in front of him. But his attempts to rid himself of the memories were futile and the small alpha's eyebrows furrowed in pain when a flash of his past broke free from the darkest corners of his mind.

"_No! He's just a child! He shouldn't have to be placed in a situation like this!" a women's voice screamed. _

Akashi gritted his teeth and flipped through the air, performing a flawless landing on his hands before twisted around with a kick of his legs. His movements became jerky and stiff, no longer having the same fluid motions as before as his emotions began to take over. Akashi let out a strained growl as he tried once more to keep the unwanted reminiscences away from his thoughts but as he landed back on his feet he stumbled forward when his consciousness was sucked back into the agonizing memories of his past.

_Little arms raised impatiently into the air hinting that the young boy attached to them wanted to be lifted up. The compassionate women above him smiled down at his actions and pulled the redheaded child into her arms holding him close as she stroked his head. The child clung to his mother contently as he closed his eyes and snuggled deeper into her embrace. The young women chuckled and began swaying on her feet, a soft voice filling the air as the mother sung a sweet lullaby. It wasn't long before the child in her arms fell asleep and the women couldn't help a loving smile grace her features. She kissed the top of the child's head._

"_Goodnight Seijūrō, my little prince." _

Akashi froze in his step, the sound of his mother's voice still ringing in his ears. The thought of his mother was almost too much to bear after what had happened. Akashi squeezed his eyes shut, body stiff as he tried desperately to shove the unwanted thoughts away. But he could only sink to his knees in agony when an onslaught of the horrifying past came to his eyes yet again.

_The young child ran through the crowded passages, his face set into determination as he pushed his way through the hordes of frightened people. He didn't want to admit it but a strike of dread was beginning to overtake his heart as he flew up the stairs to the place where he knew she would be waiting for him. He could only hope that he would make it in time. When he reached the door a feeling of relief washed over him as he grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, rushing into the room without a second thought. But what lay on the other side would haunt him for the rest of his life._

Akashi let out a strangled sound and punched the tree that was next to him, his thoughts beings corrupted by a self-loathing. The bark cracked under his strength, the blow producing a large indented crater in the old tree. Akashi didn't even notice the way his fist was oddly shaped, no doubt broken in several places as he pulled back his arm to deliver one last hit to the weakening plant. When he retracted his hand the knuckles along his closed fist were crooked and dented in, the force of the blow having negative effects on him as well and Akashi couldn't hold back the scowl of hatred at his own weakness. _Just like back then. _Akashi thought bitterly to himself and when another string of memories was about to unfold, the alpha didn't try to hold them back.

_He held her close in his arms, despair written clearly on his face as he watched her die slowly. She shouldn't look like this, he thought. She was supposed to be strong and everlastingly beautiful, the very being of a goddess. But Akashi knew that even she could not escape the clutches of death that already had its hands around her neck. He felt sick when he watched her cough up thick blood, the liquid rolling down her chin and shook in terror as he touched the deep stab wound in her chest. It wouldn't be much longer before she died. _

"_S-Seijūr-rō. . ." he heard her choked whisper, the sound broken and strained, nothing that should be heard by a woman of her standard. Akashi leaned down when she raised her hand to caress his check tenderly, the action making Akashi push down a choked sob. His mother shouldn't be the one dying right now. It should have been him! If he just ran a little faster! Akashi gritted his teeth and placed his hand atop his mother's, holding it tightly within his grasp. _

_His mother smiled at him warmly, the expression not befitting of one who was covered in blood and in excruciating pain. "My . . . l-little pri-ince." She whispered as she closed her eyes and one last breath left her lungs. Akashi's red eyes widened as he felt his mother's body go slack in his grasp and the pulse in her hand stopped beating, leaving a cold hard shell of what remained of his mother._

"_M-mother?" he called weakly, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them. When she didn't respond something broke within the young werewolf as the realization that his mother was dead came to him. Feeling nothing but anger, Akashi threw back his head and let out a bloodcurdling scream. _

Akashi stared blankly out across the field, reacting to nothing as he sat in a numb silence. The pain in his hand had already begun to lesson and he could feel the discomfort of the bones rearranging themselves underneath his skin. The sounds were sickening as they made a few popping noises when set back into place and Akashi twitched his fingers at the unpleasant feeling. He sighed and hung his head between his knees, no longer having the resolve to hold his head up and his red bangs hung in his face, reminding him yet again that he needed a haircut. Akashi blew at one of the strands carelessly and grimaced when the hair stuck to his face. He was in desperate need of a shower.

Shaking his head Akashi pulled himself up onto his feet and brushed off the dirt and leaves sticking to his clothes. A frown marred his face when he saw the blood covering his right hand, the injury from before having broken through his skin. _Just when I got a new pair too. _Akashi let out an annoyed _tch_ and brushed his hands off. He started for his house but paused when he heard the familiar voices of his pack mates a few miles away. He listened for a few seconds before he heard the unmistakable sound of Kuroko's soft voice accompanied by them. He smirked to himself. _Good, they're finally here. _With that, Akashi disappeared into the trees.

* * *

Kuroko was beginning to find the conversation between the two boisterous werewolves annoying. There was absolutely no reason for them to start sprouting unnecessary comments on how many vampires they've fought at one time or how many they've killed. Kuroko found their bragging to be quiet useless as he didn't find anything special about killing them. Honestly when Aomine began describing to him the gory details, Kuroko had to swallow down a portion of his lunch that was threatening to come up. There was no way that he would ever see that as something to brag about. Aomine didn't seem to notice Kuroko's queasiness and continued enthusiastically. Even Kise joined with his own remarks every now and again.

"There was this one time when Kise and I were ambushed by this huge group of leeches." Aomine started, his arms held out wide to emphasize the numbers of the vampires. "And let me tell you, they weren't the easiest ones I've ever taken down, even Kise and I combined had trouble defeating them." Aomine turned around to point a finger at Kuroko's face, his expression serious. Kuroko slapped the intrusive finger away from him and crossed his arms irritated. He's about had enough with their arrogance. Kuroko's action didn't seem to perturb Aomine in the slightest however, as he just continued his story-telling without skipping a beat. "But I'm pretty sure I killed more of them than that blonde idiot over there." The dark bluenette jabbed a thumb in Kise's direction.

"What?" Kise exclaimed outraged by the other's self-proclaimed statement. "Aominecchi is lying and you know it!" Kise yelled heatedly, with his fists clenched at his sides.

Aomine jabbed his pinky finger in his ear and furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. "Eh? Tetsu, did you hear somethin'?" Kuroko blinked at the careless way Aomine attempted to rile the blonde. While it was a rather cruel way to get a reaction out of Kise, it didn't take much to blow the short fuse the blonde werewolf possessed. Kise's face grew beet red in fury as he stuttered, trying to find the appropriate words to show his rage but after a few seconds of perplexed stupor Kise decided that he would instead throw a punch at the other's face. Actions always did speak louder than words.

Kuroko sidestepped Aomine when he saw Kise charge him and Aomine had a brief look of confusion at the phantom's action before Kise's fist made contact with his cheek. Kuroko was pretty sure that if Aomine had been paying more attention to his surroundings then he could have easily dodged the blow but he was instead smiling at Kuroko as he continued to tell the story, all but forgetting about his rude remark he made to his pack mate not three seconds ago. Kuroko watched unamused from the sidelines as Aomine and Kise rolled around in the muddy road trying to get the upper hand on one another. Were werewolves always this temperamental? Well he certainly knew one thing about them, they opted to use violence above everything else. Of course, that could just be Aomine and Kise but he was open to all suggestions.

"Gah!" Kise growled as Aomine managed to land a hit to his gut before throwing the slightly larger werewolf off of him. Aomine flipped through the air, using the momentum to perform a back hand spring and landed several feet away. Kise stood up, rubbing at his split lip with distaste. "Show off." He spat though no hint of malice laced his voice. Aomine smirked with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders before raising his fists back into a fighting stance. Kise copied him but before either of them could move a muscle a dagger flew through the air to land in the middle of the fighting werewolves.

Their reaction was immediate as they stood up straight with pokerfaced expressions. Kuroko had to rub the back of his neck in a wince at the thought of the whiplash they must have gone through in order to snap their heads that quickly to where the knife was thrown. Kuroko dropped his hand and followed suit to peer curiously into the trees and see who threw the knife. Kuroko quirked an eyebrow when all he saw in the thick foliage was darkness, not even the slightest movement could be seen. Kuroko almost jumped out of his skin though when a figure leaped from the tall trees and landed beside him. Kuroko shuffled a few steps back, not expecting Akashi to appear from so high up.

Akashi gave him an uninterested side glance as he crossed his arms, now looking at the two werewolves. "If I had been a real threat you both would have been dead." Akashi commented harshly his voice cold and biting. "I tire of your endless squabbles. If I catch you both one more time I'll have you run the night patrols for three years. Understood?" Akashi narrowed his eyes as the two suddenly docile teens nodded their heads without compliant. "Good." Akashi walked over to the buried blade he had thrown, not sparing a glance to the smaller bluenette as he passed him. The redheaded werewolf leaned down to yank the knife out of the earth and held up the blade to inspect it, rubbing off any smears of dirt he could find. He flipped the dagger in the air and caught it in his other hand skillfully as he turned around to face Kuroko.

"Have you ever wielded a weapon Tetsuya?" Akashi inquired, his heterochromatic eyes boring coldly into his own cerulean eyes. Kuroko looked at the blade in the alpha's hands and shook his head. He may not know how to wield a weapon much less even tell one from another but he could tell simply from the intricate designs etched into the blade that the one Akashi was holding was extremely valuable. The blade itself was at least ten inches long and was sleek in appearance, the grey color of the metal shiny and well taken care of. The blade had a few red marking drawn on the sides though they didn't seem to mean anything important, probably just for decoration. The handle of the dagger was worn and the indentions of fingers could be seen on the material, indicating that it must have been used a lot. Kuroko had to admit that he quite liked the way the blade looked.

Akashi watched as the smaller teens eyes didn't leave the blade in his grasp, the blue orbs studying every detail the dagger had to show. He smirked a bit to himself as the other all but ogled the metal weapon. "This is a modernized tantō. A small Japanese styled tactical knife that is used for close combat." Akashi stated, feeling that the bluenette would appreciate the information. "It is primarily used in martial arts and because of this the blade is light and easily maneuverable. A weapon that is both flexible and resilient. One of my favorites in fact." Kuroko's gaze moved up to Akashi as he describe the characteristics of the tantō. Akashi walked closer to the phantom teen and held out the blade. "Would you like to hold it?"

Kuroko stared at the offered weapon quizzically, not knowing how to respond to such an act. The lithe bluenette slowly raised his hand to hover over the blade before grasping his hand around the handle and pulling it from Akashi's hold. It fitted nicely in his hand and Kuroko twisted the weapon around in his grip, pleased to be able to look at the details up close. Akashi watched Kuroko for a few seconds, a calculating expression etched into his features. He snapped his fingers then, startling everyone from their thoughts.

"It's decided then. The blade will be yours until this mess has been sorted out and you have carried out your promise." Akashi told the shorter teen, his words leaving no room for argument. He swiftly turned around, his bare feet making no sound as he treaded across the dirt road. He motioned for Kuroko to follow him with a wave of his hand. "Come now, you have lots to learn before I can even consider you ready to wield such a weapon by yourself." Akashi quipped without another glance to the three trailing behind him.

Kuroko stood still as the werewolves made their way down the road, leaving him behind. He turned the knife over one last time in his hands before lifting it up to the sky. The sunlight caught the tip and the blade glittered with white streaks. Kuroko grimaced to himself as he wondered just what he would have to do with the weapon. If only he somehow could have avoided this situation and had lived without knowing there were indeed things that lived under your bed. But as he stared after the three a feeling of dread overtook him as he realized his life would be anything but normal now. He grasped the knife tighter in his grip before following after the werewolves he would have to fight side by side with someday.

* * *

**So there you have it. I'm sorry if Akashi seemed a little out of character but I just wanted to show that Akashi wasn't always the heartless person he is now and that something of his past plays a very important role in who he is today. In fact, everyone has their own traumatized past. I feel that if I do that then both you as the reader and Kuroko will be able to relate to them more. Also, finally a hint as to why the vamps want Kuroko! I'm getting really excited as the story continues to unfold. Not only that but I just realized that this story is going to be quite long, like really long. So I hope you guys won't get too fed up with me. Your reviews are extremely appreciated! And I love you guys for being so kind! But I would also like it for you guys to criticize my work too. That way I can improve my writing for you readers. But please no flames! **

**Until next time~ **


	7. Chapter 7: Reality Check

**Um . . . hi? I'm so sorry for the long wait of this chapter! You guys are amazing to have been waiting so patiently for me to stop procrastinating and actually write this chapter. And for that, here is an extra long one. Also, thanks so much for the support! I really like having so many readers but if this author could be just a little selfish, I would like to ask if you guys could review more. They are extremely encouraging and I absolutely love to read them! Plus, more reviews equals more determination to write, which in turn means faster updates! This story is starting to pick up its pace. Enjoy!  
**

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**Chapter 7: Reality Check**

Kuroko could never remember a time when he felt more exhausted than what he did now. It was a lingering feeling that never seemed to go away and always slithered around in his head like a thick smoke. At some point the headaches weren't that noticeable and Kuroko could go about his day without a second thought to it, but more often than not the haunting pain had to rear its ugly head and strike, making the exhausted teen want to tear his eyes out from the torture. It was like having a migraine that was permanently infused into his skull.

The worst part of it all though, was the fact that no matter what he did, it couldn't be helped. The past two weeks had been dedicated strictly to the art of shoving as much information about the supernatural into his head that was physically possible. After all the long and tiring days of abuse to his mind, Kuroko wasn't sure whether or not he had the ability to retain anything else into his memory anymore.

The phantom player was certain that if this was the only thing he had to concentrate on then he most likely would have been able to keep track of all the things the pack had been teaching him. What they were telling him was actually quite interesting and so far Kuroko hasn't been bored through a lesson yet. Of course, at this point it wasn't about whether it was interesting so much as trying to stay awake during the lectures. Kuroko had been reprimanded several times by the werewolves when they had found him passed out through their speech.

The bluenette couldn't help it though when he fell asleep, especially since most of the lectures were done outside in the pleasant weather of spring. Spring was usually one of Kuroko's favorite times of the year, the blooming flowers reminded him of a fresh start and the warming breeze always carried a wonderful scent of the new life around him. However, now it only reminded him of the finals he would have to study for in order to pass his first year of high school.

It was hard having to keep up with all the extra homework assignments the teachers have been giving out as they tried to squeeze what last remaining work they could to the students. It was like a sick form of payback for all the trouble they had caused during the year and Kuroko could only sulk silently when he was given yet another assignment over the ones he had already gotten by Akashi. What was the point of having misdirection if the teacher never seemed to miss him when passing out the latest homework project?

Not only were school and the special lessons by the pack slowly starting to take over his miserable life but so was basketball. The sport had been one of his favorite things to do in his past time, but now it only proved to be a nuisance he could almost never attend because he had no time left to spare in his already jammed-tight schedule. He had been forced to push his days of attendance down to the minimum required days a week and the only reason he hadn't been going any fewer than that was because of the school's policy which stated that if he didn't go at least twice a week then he would be kicked off the team.

His more than usual lack of presence on the court had started to get his teammates attention and it was only a matter of time before they began questioning him further about his sudden disappearance from the sport. Kagami had once or twice confronted him on the subject but Kuroko was always ready to steer the tall power forward away from his personal life. The obvious avoidance had left the redhead annoyed for the first few times, but Kagami eventually gave up on trying to pry anything out from the smaller teen and decided that Kuroko would tell him on his own sooner or later. Kuroko was grateful for Kagami's consideration about his privacy, but that didn't go for the same when Riko had brought up the subject one day and tried to forcefully get the information out of him.

Kuroko had sternly refused to bend to the coach's questioning and was quite proud of himself when he had managed to come out of the conversation alive. But the feeling was instantly gone when she had ordered everyone to increase their training regimens thrice. Had he just gave in and told her some kind of twisted form of the truth to satisfy her then maybe he could have gone the rest of the week without having to perform the exercises of his own quadrupled schedule. Kuroko was glad that most of the lessons given to him by the werewolf pack mostly consisted of verbal information and not physical training. He wasn't sure he could handle any more of the stress that was starting to have serious repercussions on his fatigued body.

So far, from what he has been taught, the supernatural world mostly consisted of three major species and numerous sub-species that branched off from the other three. The first main species is called the Shape Shifters. Like the werewolves Kuroko has been associating with, shape shifters are beings who can change and alter their current form into something else. Werewolves, for example, can shift between a human and wolf form depending on certain circumstances. Skinwalkers, however, are creatures that can change into different forms at will; although depending on what type of skinwalker it is will determine what they can transform into.

Aomine had told Kuroko many different and gruesome stories about certain skinwalkers that can shift into different people and trick others into doing their bidding. It had taken him a while after that to stop thinking that any of the students in school were skinwalkers working for the vampires, and any sudden movements had him reeling back in alarm as he anticipated them waiting for the perfect chance to pounce on him.

The second class, otherwise known as the Mystics, is any being that carries any form of a magical element within them. This can include anything as familiar as a witch to something as bizarre as a goblin. Kuroko had been confused when Midorima started listing off different magical creatures one by one, each one getting even more peculiar than the last. He had thought of them as being impossible, for how could something like a Pegasus actually exist in a world like this? Apparently- from what Midorima tells him- nothing is impossible when it comes to the supernatural.

When Kuroko had asked more on the subject of magical creatures Midorima had dismissed him with a wave of his hand, saying that the magical realm was too broad to get into. But he had told him about the different ways a magical being could use their magic. It ranged vastly but the most common uses were in the forms of elementals, which can control different types of elements as their name entails, and magicians, who perform the usual spellcasting and hexes they are often known for. When the lessons had been over Kuroko was still left unsatisfied by the small amount of information he had been given about the Mystics.

The final of the three is named the Underworlders. Akashi had been the one to teach him most of this lesson and Kuroko knew that what the alpha had said was only a scratch on the surface for how much there really was to the dark beings. While Shape Shifters are more grounded and a part of the world and Mystics have a close connection to the spiritual part of the realm, Underworlders have more of a darker twist in the world. They aren't exactly human, more so than the other two species at least. These creatures are created in the darkest and ghastliest pits of the earth. They haunt others and feed off of their agony and anguish, always lurking in the shadows to pick off the least expecting victim. No one knows how they come to be but out of all the other classes, the Underwolrders are the ones who fill the world in a surplus.

Most of the Underworlders consist of deformed and mutilated creatures that don't always hold a human form, but there is a monster that most humans have come to know quite well. That monster, being the vampire, is a great representation of just what an Underworlder is. They are lifeless beings who continue to walk the earth and feed off the blood from humans and other living creatures just to remain "alive." The vampire race is one of the most successful species of Underworlders and from what Akashi had told him, it is only a matter of time before their numbers begin to overtake the world.

When they were done giving him the basic rundown of what the three main classes were in the supernatural world, Kuroko was only left more confused than he was before they began and had several unanswered questions to top it off. Just what kind of world had he been living in without even realizing that there was more than meets the eye? Kuroko had spent several days after the short lessons pondering over what little information they had given him.

He knew that they were only teaching him the requirements he needed to know about their world but he couldn't help the sudden spark of interest he kept getting when they mentioned something mysterious about the paranormal. Every time he would ask for them to elaborate they only dismissed his questions or completely ignored them. Kuroko knew they were keeping a lot from him, especially when he saw their guilty expressions when they accidentally let something slip into their conversations.

Maybe they just didn't trust him enough to share everything about their lives with him, especially since he was only going to be involved with them until they have subjugated the vampire clan they've been hunting. Or perhaps they would tell him later, after he has gained their respect in some way. Kuroko didn't think that the latter had as much of a high chance as the former and decided one day to take matters into his own hands and find out more.

He had thought the internet could be a big help in the situation, but once he had started researching what he could about the supernatural he found out that a lot of the information was false or didn't relate to what the werewolves had said in any way. He had felt a bit stuck when he realized there wasn't much more he could do to get any more answers. It was only two days later though when he'd found out that Kise was gullible in light conversation and he could easily get the werewolf to spill some things without realizing it.

When he had asked the blonde a few choice questions the werewolf didn't hesitate to rattle on in a detailed explanation to answer them. It would seem the copycat had liked the idea that the small phantom was giving him some kind of attention and happily complied with whatever Kuroko wanted. Kuroko was grateful for the natural chattiness Kise contained but never pushed the questions farther than two or three at a time.

One question he wanted to ask had been buzzing in his head for the past few days at the time. He wanted to know what Aomine had said one day about there being different ranks even inside a werewolf's class. So he had taken Kise out for a walk in the quiet forest and skillfully led the conversation to include the subject. Kise was left in the dark of Kuroko's hidden schemes and answered cheerfully.

"_So the species are divided intricately with each other in order to decide what kind of class they belong to?" Kuroko asked, his soft voice echoing lightly in the quiet forest. Kise nodded his head in answer as he bounded a few steps further in front of him. "Then even a class itself has its own ranks and sub-units?" Kuroko probed with a false sense of innocence. _

_It was a delicate matter, trying to get Kise to speak without giving anything away. The hyperactive blonde liked to talk but he usually answered the questions Kuroko asked with a one word answer or changed the subject when he thought the conversations were getting too risky. Kise wasn't as much of an idiot as Kuroko had thought but every now and again the blonde would forget about how secretive the information he was giving out was and answered none the wiser._

_Kise scrunched up his nose in thought before turning around to walk backwards as he tilted his head to the side. "Well, I guess you could say that. Vampires are mostly classed by their age when forming ranks. You know, the older the vampire is the more powerful it is." Kise said nonchalantly and Kuroko had to refrain from smirking when he got the several worded answer. It appeared that Kise was willing to describe this one in great detail. _

_"Though a werewolf's ranks are decided through two points. The first," Kise held up a finger, "being a normal wolf ranking system, such as the alpha, beta, and omega and so on. These ones are based off of the amount of authority a werewolf holds over the others in a pack- if it is in a pack that is." Kise held up another finger to join the first. "The second is a state of mentality. Werewolves are- I guess you could say- a very temperamental species and have an extremely fragile psychological state."_

_Kise's expression turned sheepish at his own words and he turned around before continuing his speech. "The mind of a werewolf is convolutedly infused with two sides of different beings. One is the human's side or the rational thought processor. It is the part of our minds that allows us to not be completely overtaken by our other half, that half being the wolf's mindset. We like to refer to this part of our mind as the beast's approach. The beast's link is what directly links us to our wolf half. The wolf side of us is a wild monster that has no rational sense what so ever. Even though all werewolves have it, there are some of us who can control the beast inside of us more than others. Our pack is an example of that. We can live life without having to be enslaved by our beast's tendencies or fear our transformation." Kuroko glanced up to see Kise kick a stone harshly out of his way._

"_However," the werewolf continued with sorrow lacing his voice, "there are those who cannot break free from the wolf's power and are forced to watch from the wolf's eyes as it murders their friends and family, not being able to stop it or even warn others before the beast tears out their throats." Kise stopped walking and Kuroko lifted an eyebrow in confusion as he closed the gap between them. "But sometimes I wish that there were only people like that, unlike those feral bastards who enjoy it." Kise spat out suddenly and continued walking. Kuroko frowned in confusion at Kise's words and followed closely behind. What had he meant by that? Kuroko waited for the young werewolf to elaborate but the rest of the journey was spent in a tense silence._

Why was it that whenever he got an answer to a question it only created another one that was even more stifling than the last? The werewolves were a mysterious bunch that was for sure. He just wished that they would respect him a bit more to entrust some of their secrets with him, at least that way he wouldn't have to go snooping under their noses for the answers himself. Three weeks of playing an elusive dance was beginning to tire the bluenette even more than he already was.

That was why Kuroko was thankful when Aomine suggested they go out into the woods that day and practice how to wield his temporary tantō blade. It was a chance to get out of the stuffy mansion and into the cool spring day. When Kuroko breathed in the crisp air, the fog that seemed to cloud his head began to slowly dissipate and for once he could think clearly since he didn't have words being shoved forcefully through his tired ears. Kuroko enjoyed what silence was available as he followed Aomine who led the way deeper into the forest.

Kuroko lifted his head as they ventured further into the foliage of the leaves and plants inhabiting the small path they were traveling on. The sunlight barely cut through the trees lining the narrow trail and Kuroko squinted an eye when a patch of sun broke free and glared in his eye. Kuroko ducked his head under a low hanging branch and jumped over a fallen log on the path, the sounds of his soft footfalls hurrying to catch up to the swift werewolf.

The path they were taking was one Kuroko had already been on before, so he knew that the worn in path led to an open clearing in the trees that was regularly used by the pack for combat training. It was a wide open field that had had numerous patches of colorful wildflowers blooming and the grass covering the ground was beginning to turn green with new life. It was a beautiful spot since it was one of the few places that allowed the sun to shine without the hindrance of leaves.

Aomine cracked his neck before turning around to face the bluenette a small smirk gracing his lips as usual. "Alright, so before we begin let's do a few stretches." The werewolf said lightly. Kuroko stared at the taller bluenette with deadpan eyes. "Do a few stretches"? What were they going to do that required them to stretch before doing a few handlings with a knife? Aomine grinned when all Kuroko did was narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"Trust me when I say you'll want to warm up before doing this. The first time I did weapon combat practice without stretching, my arms and shoulders cramped for days. Of course, we won't be doing something as strenuous as I did," Aomine remarked as he pulled an arm back behind his head to begin his stretching stances, "so we shouldn't have to do that much to prepare. Besides, it only for our arms." He mentioned offhandedly while switching to his other arm.

Kuroko sighed and copied Aomine's posture, his arm going behind his head as he hooked his hands behind his back. The stretching poses weren't too difficult and they resembled a lot of the forms they did in basketball before shooting practice. Kuroko was grateful that Aomine remained silent through the practice, the silence was relieving for once and he closed his eyes halfway through his third pose. It only took ten minutes before Aomine called time to begin training. When he told him to get out his practice knife Kuroko cocked his head to the side in confusion. His practice knife? Weren't they just supposed to use the one Akashi gave him?

"Um . . . I'm afraid I forgot the practice knife Aomine-kun." Kuroko stated while he fidgeted in his spot slightly. It wasn't like he usually forgot things, it's just that he figured they would use the real blade instead of the practice one; he wasn't a child anyways and could easily hold a real knife without cutting himself. Aomine, however, thought it would be best for them to start with the wooden version of his tantō. Kuroko frowned in annoyance when Aomine started to complain about how he forgot the one thing they needed for this training and Kuroko had to bite back the retort that he didn't know they needed the practice tantō and that he had brought the real one, so it wasn't like they didn't have a blade at all.

Aomine heaved a breath of annoyance and rubbed angrily at his face. "Fine, wait here while I go get it. It'll only take me a second." Aomine said and quickly rushed back into the trees they had come from. Kuroko had to blink in surprise as he was once again reminded by how fast the werewolves could actually run. Aomine's form was a blur as he disappeared into the shadowed verdure of the forest. Kuroko calculated that it would take him at least three minutes until he returned so he sat down on the fresh grass and closed his eyes for a minute of rest.

The breeze felt nice against his skin and Kuroko let out a contented sigh, enjoying the warm light of the sun. However, it was only a few seconds before the sun's rays disappeared behind yet another cloud. The thick storm clouds of spring always seemed to get in the way of people who wanted to feel the warmth after the dark and cold winter.

Kuroko opened his eyes and leaned back to watch the formations of the clouds but when his back touched the ground he was reminded of the new blade he had been given by Akashi. He sat up again and reached behind him to pull the tantō out of its sheath. He was adamant when the werewolf alpha had offered the tantō sheath to him the first time. It was something he had dubbed unneeded and thus had no interest in the thought of having one. But the redhead had been persistent in him accepting it, telling him all the qualities of why it would be helpful to have.

It was sleek black in color, the material thick and light to touch. The sheath was to be strapped onto the lower part of his back, the size of it enabling it to be easily hidden behind a baggy t-shirt. And Kuroko had to admit that after using it for this occasion, the sheath was convenient to have so he wouldn't have to carry it around.

He let the blade twist in his hands as he studied the designs on it once again. Maybe he could go through this whole ordeal without actually having to use it. It was sickening to think that he would possibly have to sink the metal into another person. Maybe if he was lucky enough, he would be able to avoid all forms of conflict. Kuroko shook his head with a snort. There probably wasn't even a slim chance of that happening. Kuroko frowned at the blade in his hands before moving to place it back into its small sheath. But a small rustle farther off in the trees had him pausing in hesitance. He sat stiffly, not moving an inch as his ears strained to hear anything else from the darkness in the leaves. It was a few seconds later before the sound came again however this time it was repeated and louder than the previous sound.

Kuroko clambered to his feet and clutched urgently at his tantō in his hand. There were four in all, so the thing had to be some kind of animal. Kuroko wouldn't have cared if it was just an animal but as the thing approached ever so steadily closer, its footfalls grew heavier and the cracking sounds of foliage breaking apart by its body indicated that whatever it was- it was huge, and was heading straight for him.

Kuroko's body froze in anticipation, all thoughts of fleeing to safety vanishing from his mind as a startling sensation deep inside his mind wanted to see just what was coming towards him. It scared him to know that he was practically on the edge of his seat, waiting for what was to come even though it could quiet possibly be his future killer. As the thing appeared to be only a few hundred feet away Kuroko thought that he could at least go down fighting and gripped the tantō in his hands tighter, bracing himself at what was to come.

The beast easily closed the gap between them and Kuroko didn't have to wait long before the thing erupted from the tree line in a burst of leaves and fur. The animal stopped and it took a few seconds until the bluenette could distinguish the form hidden behind the flurry of greenery. It was nothing he had expected, although it shouldn't have been surprising considering just where he was at the moment. The thing was obviously a werewolf but he only remembered Akashi having four people in his pack and this werewolf didn't resemble any of them.

Perhaps it was just a lone werewolf of some sort because neither Akashi nor the rest of the pack had mentioned anything about having someone else in their closely knitted pack of supernatural wolves. But that was unlikely as he remembered Aomine stating once that werewolves were extremely territorial and a werewolf invading another's territory could mean certain death. So either this wolf was extremely brave or was extremely desperate for his immediate demise.

Kuroko blinked his eyes as he scrutinized the wolf and raised his eyebrows in astonishment at the sheer size the wolf possessed. Kuroko knew next to nothing about how a werewolf was supposed to look in this form but he was pretty sure that even for a werewolf this thing towered over everyone else of its kind. Even from the distance separating them Kuroko could easily tell that the beast loomed over his head by several feet at least- not that his lack of height had any say in this. A horse was probably no comparison to the massive beast in front of him.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Kuroko's eyes skimmed over the rest of the wolf and observed how the pelt covering the werewolf was a deep purple in color, almost black as it stretched over the rippling muscle beneath it. The thing would have been able to completely blend in with the darkness of night had it not been for the unusual bright violet color that adorned the tips of its sharply pointed ears and bushy tail. Kuroko moved his gaze to the face of the beast and took a startled step back when his eyes met the deep lavender ones of the wolf, its orbs glinting with intellect that no normal animal could ever possess.

Kuroko could only stare in wonder as the beast seemed to also study him in return, its lavender eyes trailing slowly over his small form. The forest was silent, seconds passing by that felt like hours to the bluenette as beast and human stared at each other from opposite ends of a large field. Kuroko shifted his weight to his other side when his feet began to numb in the uncomfortable position and his action caused a loud growl to erupt from the chest of the massive werewolf. Kuroko shivered as the low bass reverberated through the air and all but shook the earth, the sound vibrating in his chest.

Kuroko's gaze followed the wolf's and he looked down to see his blade glinting in what little sunlight there was available. The werewolf probably thought he was some kind of threat, Kuroko assumed. He brought his gaze back up to the dark wolf's and slowly raised his hands up in a surrendering position, perhaps he could make the other believe that he meant him no harm. A sudden menacing snarl sounded from the beast as it sprung forward a few steps, its teeth bared in warning.

Kuroko restricted all movement, fear beginning to freeze up his muscles as the wolf stared him down the meadow. His breathing was slowly becoming more erratic as thoughts of the beast tearing him limb from limb came to the surface of his mind. The short gasps of breath weren't really helping in the fact that he was beginning to find it hard to breathe. There was no doubt that the werewolf could rip him into tiny indistinguishable pieces before even one word of help could escape his throat.

The huge wolf narrowed its eyes at him and took another leap in front of him. The sudden movement cause Kuroko to flinch and he took a step back. The action proved to be a bad idea as his foot fell upon a frail twig and the wood snapped beneath his sneaker clad feet. The sound seemed to set something off in the massive wolf and it lunged at him yet again although this time it didn't look like it would stop. Kuroko gasped in helpless fear as he watched the wolf close the gap between them too quickly and he barely got to move an inch before the beast was upon him.

Kuroko let out a strangled sound when the huge mass of fur had hit him with full force, the impact causing him to fly onto his back and the breath leave his lungs violently. Kuroko made a few choking noises as the weight of the werewolf fell onto his chest and he could feel the blade being ripped out of his hands when the wolf clamped its jaws around the metal and pulled the weapon with little effort from his grasp. Kuroko watched as the wolf reared back on its hind legs before throwing its head to the side, flinging the tantō into the thick undergrowth of the forest where it probably wouldn't be found again.

Kuroko brought his arms up to shield his chest and face instinctively as the werewolf brought its upper body down again. Its huge paws pounded the ground on both sides of his head and Kuroko felt the earth incline as the dirt indented with the power of the blow, dust flying up around them. Kuroko closed his eyes when the head of the beast started to descend down to him, snarls and growls filling his ears.

He didn't plan on this being the way he would go down. Oh why couldn't he have just died a boring death by old age in his bed like everyone else? At least that way he wouldn't have to feel the pain of being ripped open alive by a supersized wolf. Kuroko prayed that the werewolf had some amount of decency and decided to end his life as quickly and humanely as possible. _Maybe it was too much to ask for. _Kuroko thought as he felt the thick canines of the wolf close around his neck.

It was too bad really; he hadn't been able to make Kagami the number one in Japan yet or even had the chance to tell his mother he loved her one last time. _Not that she would even know I'm gone. _Kuroko thought bitingly. In the end his death probably won't matter that much, just another person who didn't matter in the world to die like everyone else as unimportant as him. The teeth on his neck began to close. _This is it then. _Kuroko braced himself as he clenched his eyes shut tighter and prepared for the undoubted pain that was to come.

The next course of action was too fast for Kuroko's exhausted mind to comprehend. Kuroko was sure that the wolf's heavy body was holding him on the muddy ground and that its sharp canines were already beginning to pierce his pale skin but he felt a sudden torrent of air over him and the weight of the animal was abruptly gone- as if it didn't exist. Kuroko blinked his eyes open to a clear sky above him and tentatively lifted his head to glance over his heaving chest. The sight of Aomine's back had never been so relieving until now. Kuroko felt a sigh of relief escape his trembling lips and he shakily pulled himself back onto his wobbly feet, a hand clasped securely onto his shirt over his chest as he willed his hammering heart to slow down.

Aomine stood stiffly, his body crouched low and poised to strike in the slightest movement, slanted eyes never leaving the wolf that stood twenty feet away. Kuroko glanced around the dark bluenette and saw that the werewolf was glaring at Aomine, its lips pulled back into a snarl as it let out another, profounder roar than before. Kuroko was surprised when Aomine replied in the same way, the teen narrowing his azure eyes as he showed his own large canines and released an animalistic growl from deep in his throat. Whatever Aomine said must have angered the beast as it threw its head to the side and stomped its paws dauntingly, closing several feet between them in warning. Aomine made a snorting sound and turned his head to look at Kuroko from over his shoulder.

"Run back to the house." The tanned teen ordered, his face sluggishly forming into his usual smirk. "It'll only take me a second to deal with this nagging idiot." The werewolf roared again, charging the laidback werewolf who was still in his human form. Aomine gave a mock solute to Kuroko before he rushed the advancing six hundred pound beast without a care in the world.

Kuroko didn't waste any time to spin on his heels and make a break for it back towards Akashi's mansion. He tore down the winding dirt path and faintly heard the sounds of breaking trees and vicious growls from far behind him as the battle between the two traveled further in the opposite direction. Never again did he want to face something as terrifying as a werewolf in its wolf form again. The sight of the petrifying beast still lingered behind his eyelids every time he blinked and Kuroko knew was wasn't going to get any sleep again for a while now.

The spectacle of having a werewolf come after you was entirely different from that of a vampire. The vampire at least had a form that greatly resembled that of a human's and didn't leave a hole in your soul from facing one. They were small and normal looking, having a false presence that made you think you at least stood a chance against them- that is until you actually fought the thing.

Werewolves on the other hand, were unnerving just being in the presence of. It was rational thinking when you first take a gander at the thing's massive size and immediately determine that there was no hope for you. What could you possibly do to something that was three times you size? Not only that but it was unnerving when staring into its eyes and seeing that the beast held such intelligence that no other animal could comprehend, that and the fact that its mouth looked to be able to easily bite off your head with little to no effort. Werewolves were certainly something else compared to vampires. And Kuroko was reminded yet again by how powerful the four people he has been interacting with for the past month were.

* * *

Murasakibara never liked stalking people. It was a job more suited for someone as pestering as Kise who loved to intrude in everything, or like Midorima who always tried to meddle into other's personal lives without seeming too obvious of it. They were extremely annoying when it came to these points of their personalities but Murasakibara would be lying if he said they weren't advantageous when it came to these specific missions. Both were naturals when it came to trailing the enemies, and could easily gain useful information in less than a week.

The lavender-eyed werewolf wished the saying could be the same for him. Following vampires or any other supernatural creature was a major chore for the giant. His size wasn't the most convenient thing to have when he had to quickly hide behind something and it was almost impossible for him to fit anywhere that wasn't behind a structure ten times bigger than him. Maybe if he was smaller the hunt could have been more thrilling, but that wasn't the only problem when facing the stealth missions.

Murasakibara knew the other wolves considered him to be a bit slow when making decisions. But that was only because unlike the other irrational dogs that were in his pack, he didn't always like to resort towards violence when a threat came up. He chose to make rational choices when concerning something, albeit they generally tended to be more biased than others, but he always tried to decide the best course of action for the greater good of the pack. And it was because of this that his reaction times weren't always the fastest, making the others jab insults at him every now and again, although, Akashi never reprimanded Murasakibara and always made time for him. It made Murasakibara feel prideful that the alpha of the pack actually respects his opinions when making decisions for the pack.

But back to the fact that Murasakibara hates investigation missions. It was through years of enforcing his thought process to multitask that Murasakibara had developed a very low attentive span. It wasn't the kind of attentive span that was too imprudent to concentrate on anything but more of a thought process that was too curious for its own good. Murasakibara, more or less, thought about everything; however, it was because of this that he didn't have time to concentrate on only one specific thing at a time. It wasn't a good thing to have when making a final decision but was extremely relevant when gathering perspectives from all sides, a skill that Akashi acknowledged and appreciated. And it was the reason why Murasakibara had a hard time keeping his concentration on the small vampire he was shadowing.

It was Akashi's stern orders that made him take this mission otherwise the werewolf was sure he would have ignored the request. Tracking and following vampires was boring to Murasakibara. It required too much silence and not enough action for it to be anything but tedious. He always had to stay further behind the vampire than the other wolves in his pack simply because of his larger than average size. Plus, since he was already so far away, it was easy to miss some things the vampires whispered to themselves or even loose the vampire itself if they went through twisted mazes in a city or forest.

However, although he was mostly in the city while trailing the small leech, the werewolf was able to overhear vital information concerning the future plans of the vampire clan they have been fighting with. Murasakibara knew that Akashi had suspected the vampire to be of the higher ranks within the Nisshoku Clan. So that was why it surprised the violet-eyed wolf when he heard the vampire talking carelessly about their plans to another member of their clan after Murasakibara had followed the small ravenette vampire into the crowded center of the city one day.

He had to change into his human form in order to follow the leech any further into the streets of Tokyo, making Murasakibara feel on edge as all of his senses were temporarily diminished in strength. The giant didn't mind walking in his human body, but he always had a bad feeling weighing on his shoulders when he trailed after the parasites in his weaker form. It wasn't reassuring that the vampires could easily kill him without a second's notice and Murasakibara wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Murasakibara was thankful though when the vampire had led him into a crowded coffee shop just off a busy street. He knew that the vampires wouldn't confront him on a street swarming with humans. The fight that could possibly break out was too dangerous, and could expose their supernatural lineage to the people. The werewolf knew that the vampires would never cause something so risky unless they were stupid. He hadn't followed the leech inside the building, opting instead to lean back against one of the walls near the door outside. The lavender-eyed teen had pulled out his phone and created a ploy of texting someone while his ears trained on the voice of the vampire inside.

Their conversation was normal to the average person but Murasakibara had picked up on a few words uttered between the two parasites. The one he had been shadowing spoke of a group of newborns being created further away in the city; a construction for a new army. Murasakibara perked up his ears and listened intently as he rattled off on how their leader was starting to execute their plan for the "upbringing", whatever that was. Murasakibara had tried to find out what he had meant by that but only got the location of the newborns and nothing else.

When the vampires were about to leave the tall teen hurriedly made his way in the opposite way they had come from, deciding that his alpha should know what had been said. He didn't trust what the leeches had talked about. It was too suspicious and could easily be false, but whatever possible information could help immensely for their upper hand against the Nisshoku Clan. He would let Akashi deal with what the vampires could have meant.

The whole task had ended up being almost three weeks long, not the longest mission he's ever done by far but still tiring nonetheless. Murasakibara took his time travelling back to the mansion, mostly because he had to do it in his human form since he was still in the city and also because he wanted to ponder the information the vampires had conversed about. What had they meant by the "upbringing"?

Murasakibara had never heard of such a term used by the vampires before. It might have been a secret code for something and could even be the key to what their surreptitious plans were. But having the word spoken so freely amongst their conversation ruined its importance. The vampires should know that there were always ears listening in on them, even Murasakibara knew not to say words so carelessly in public. But then again, that could have been a scheme. What if the vampires knew that he was following them, which was likely considering, and had sprouted the information like naïve children to lure the werewolves into a trap? Murasakibara had shaken his head when he thought about that. There were too many things of importance to consider, he would rather have his alpha distinguish what tricks the vampires were playing at.

The lavender-eyed werewolf was finally able to transform when he reached the thick forest Akashi owned. It felt refreshing as the wind blew through his fur, ruffling the dark pelt in waves with its cool breeze. The werewolf relished the feeling of soft earth beneath his large paws, his claws extending out to grip the muddy soil as he stretched his long limbs. Shaking his head to rid of a few leaves that fell on him in the breeze Murasakibara trotted over to his pile of clothes he had taken off before he transformed. Gathering the clothing into his jaws the wolf took off at leisurely trot, his paws beating melodically in a pattern as he made his way back home.

Murasakibara was relieved that he was finally back in his home territory and that the unbelievably dreary mission had come to an end. Perhaps now he could go back to doing his usual patrol around the area instead of playing ninja trying to follow some blood-sucking vampires. At least he knew bordering the territory was something he was good at, and something he was familiar with. In fact, out of all the members of the pack, Murasakibara was the best in doing patrols around the land.

He enjoyed the time while being in his wolf form to travel around the perimeters surrounding their house. It was usually silent and allowed Murasakibara to think in peace without having to deal with the obnoxious members of his pack. It did get boring every-now-and-again, but it was one of the only times he could walk freely as a wolf without having to be cautious or hide from prying eyes.

And sometimes, there was an off-chance that he would encounter a rogue vampire and was free to eradicate it. But that was only because vampires were prohibited from trespassing on a werewolf pack's land. It was, of course, the same for werewolves as they couldn't invade on a vampire clan's territory without being confronted. It was an old law between the two species that was made to try to enact some sort of peace between the two, but it hasn't helped much. Murasakibara always carried out the best procedures for handling anything that invaded their territory, and it was probably because of this that Akashi trusted him the most to do the job without messing up in some way.

It wasn't like the others always got in trouble or didn't do their jobs right. But there had been some situations in which the other members of his team could have performed better. Such as Aomine; Aomine didn't like the patrols all that much, saying they were too boring for him. It was understandable, seeing as they didn't consist of much besides running along the perimeters. And that was why Aomine typically slept during the job instead of running the borders, later claiming that he had run them but everyone knew he was lying.

Kise at least ran the patrol but he tended to get sidetracked and wander off. It would have been easily overlooked since he didn't laze around like Aomine, but Kise got bored easily too and that always encouraged him to find some form of amusement; this amusement usually taking the form of harassing teenagers that trespassed on their land. Akashi knew that they visited frequently and ordered no one to confront them but Kise ignored their alpha's words and did it anyway. He had gotten in trouble for it numerous times but Kise always claimed that the teens never saw him. Murasakibara feared it would only be a matter of time before Kise slipped and the teenagers saw the werewolf.

Murasakibara didn't have much to complain about Midorima. The jade-eyed teen always did his job without any complaints. But Midorima didn't like running patrol, always claiming that it was a waste of his time. It was reasonable since Midorima was currently in college to become a licensed nurse. He spent most of his time studying and such so Murasakibara never got irritated if Midorima said he couldn't do his patrol.

And Akashi was always busy in his office. Murasakibara didn't understand most of the work the alpha did but he knew it consisted of contacting other packs in Japan and making lots of negotiations with different species of the supernatural. Doing all the work never left Akashi with any time of his own, so the alpha rarely ever ran the patrol. With there being no one to rely on with the patrol Murasakibara had taken it upon himself to do most of the work. And over the years the lavender-eyed wolf had continued to improve in his skills. It was something he prided himself on. Doing patrols was one of the best forms of ensuring the rest of the pack was safe, and he had yet to disappoint.

But as he travelled further into the forest Murasakibara faltered in his steps when a strange scent caught his nose. It was unfamiliar and carried a faint hint of an ocean breeze and vanilla. Murasakibara had never smelt a human with such a smell before. They were usually faded and consisted of several chemicals that their shampoos were made of. Human scents made Murasakibara's nose twitch in discomfort but this one was pleasantly light and had a refreshing undertone to it. Unless it wasn't a human at all.

The dark-pelted wolf narrowed his eyes and continued forward with a territorial fervor. _I leave for a few weeks and come back to this? _He heatedly thought, pushing his limbs to go faster. What had Aomine and Kise been doing while he was gone? They weren't reliable as it is already and now they have allowed a threat to enter their lands, putting all their lives in possible danger. _I'll show them to slack on the job. _Murasakibara growled and snapped his jaws in anger. The large wolf dropped his clothes along the way and picked up his pace as the scent became stronger and he could see the beginnings of a clearing further ahead.

Murasakibara had expected some kind of powerful Mystic. But when he exploded from the tree line ready to fight, he was dumbfounded to only see a very small, very _human_ teenager. There was no doubt about it. The boy was indeed a human but it confused him that there was a person who held such a weak presence. Was it even possible? Murasakibara could only stare frozen at him, his eyes scrutinizing the pale-haired human.

The boy was small, smaller than Akashi even and was almost translucent in appearance. His skin was pale, like that of a ghost, flawless as it glowed in the sunlight. Purple clashed with blue as Murasakibara looked into the eyes of the stranger, the teen's bright blue hair brushing into his startled eyes. And then the werewolf's eyes traveled further down and saw the sharp knife glinting in his hands. It was an automatic response when Murasakibara growled in warning once he took notice of the tantō in the boy's grasp. The weapon could mean several of things. None of which Murasakibara would like to acknowledge, but considering the fact that they could all be a possible threat, if they weren't already, the werewolf knew he would have to deal with the child.

The boy might seem innocent enough but Murasakibara had dealt with enough deceitful things to know that first impressions meant nothing. The teen could very well be a werewolf-hunter, a very dangerous killer whose sole purpose is to dispose the world of its werewolf population. The lavender-eyed teen had come face-to-face with a werewolf-hunter before and they were certainly a force to be reckoned with. It was frightening to know that a mere human had enough training and knowledge to be on par with a full grown alpha. Humans were supposed to be lowly beings who could never compare with the physical strengths of the werewolves. But over the centuries, the hunters have become something every werewolf fears.

Murasakibara had heard tales of powerful werewolf clans being destroyed by humans simply because they had underestimated their strength. Werewolves might be strong, but humans were clever and had weapons created especially for killing them. They weren't to be taken likely. But Murasakibara could be wrong and the boy might just be a regular teenager who had slipped out of his parents' house to go sneaking in the forest. The knife was questionable at best and seeing it still clutched tightly in the bluenette's hands gave Murasakibara a bad feeling.

He could be wrong about this. The "human" could easily be another supernatural creature he had never encountered before too. And he could possibly be here to murder his pack, if he hasn't already. Murasakibara felt a panicked snarl leave his lips as his eyes narrowed at the other making the small teen pale as he raised his hands up. He could be making his move right now! Murasakibara snapped his teeth together in warning as he sprung forward a few steps.

It didn't matter anymore. The teen could be any of those things. If he was a hunter or another creature then Murasakibara had the right to kill him. And if he really was just a human then it was unfortunate for the teen. Humans weren't supposed to know they existed so Murasakibara had to kill him in order to maintain their secret identities from the humans. Besides, if he told people about the large wolves living in the forest it could potentially attract the attention of a real werewolf-hunter. Then they'd all be doomed.

So it would be the best, and safest, to kill the "human" boy and bury his body somewhere where no one would find him. The dark werewolf leapt at the frail teen again, waiting to make his move. The bluenette flinched this time but the sudden move set an alarm off in Murasakibara's head and the wolf roared as the teen stepped back into a basic fighting stance. Murasakibara's mind filled with rage as paranoid thoughts filled his head with pictures of the teen in front of him murdering his family in cold blood. _I won't let you! _Murasakibara growled and charged the smaller boy with an anxious fervor, his vision turning red as his wolf gained control of him.

The lavender-eyed wolf didn't remember much of what happened next. Only brief images flashed across his eyes as his wolf side took over and controlled his movements. There were a few things he had been able to distinguish from the contorted images the wolf part of him saw. Once or twice the giant had seen the figure of what looked like Aomine in his wolf form, apparently fighting him from the way the midnight blue wolf was snarling at him. The jumble of pictures seemed to only last a few seconds before Murasakibara's vision turned black and he woke up lying down on his side.

The werewolf stood up and shook himself off, his ears flicking around and nose sniffing to pick up any sounds of life. However he was met by a startling silence, the evidence that their fight had scared off any animals living close-by. Aomine's scent was still fresh, probably running off after fighting him, and Murasakibara looked around in distaste as he saw the surrounding area broken from their vicious battle. He shook he head and snorted, turning around to swiftly make his way back to the house. He still had to give Akashi his report on the vampires.

His paws made small sounds as he traveled through the thick brush of the green forest, his dark pelt blending perfectly within the shadows. He faltered in his steps as a quick flash of teeth filled his vision, the whole thing masked by a film of blood red. Murasakibara shook his head roughly, clenching his eyes shut in repulsion as the wolf in his mind attempted to show him the previous battle. The werewolf didn't like it when the wolf side of him took over his mind. It was an unpleasant feeling when the monster was granted full control of his movements to do whatever it pleased and Murasakibara could do nothing as it tore apart both friends and enemies.

But the lavender-eyed teen still played a part in allowing the beast to do so, even though he didn't particularly mean for it to happen. It was usually anger that triggered the monstrous side of the wolf to come out. All werewolves are extremely sensitive to powerful emotions, whether it be sorrow, joy, or even passion, the beast can easily slip through the weak mind and control the human's rational part. One would think it would be easy to ignore the instigating of the wolf but the beast had a shrewd way of intertwining with their thoughts to make it seem like they are thinking the wolf's thoughts themselves. Going so far as to actually believe what the wolf wants.

But Murasakibara didn't like that. He didn't like the thought of having something so vile controlling everything about him. What was the point of being himself if there was going to be something there always trying to turn him into something he's not? The wolf was a bad influence, but the childish teen had been blinded by his panicked rage and let the wolf in without a second thought.

As he wasn't very far Murasakibara didn't take long before he finally reached his home. It was relieving when his paws felt the familiar earth around the house's perimeter and the scent of his pack so near calmed his nerves. The huge wolf trotted up to the front of the back porch and slowly shifted into his human form. The bones in his body broke and rearranged themselves, the snapping sounds sickening to those not used to it. But Murasakibara had become accustomed to the feeling and it wasn't long before bare skin replaced fur and the hair upon his head grew longer till the tips reached just the tops of his shoulders, the purple strands now covering slightly pointed human ears.

Murasakibara yawned loudly, his bright lavender eyes squinting slightly while he reached for a pair of basketball shorts they left out to change into. The clothing slipped on easily, the black material making his milky skin stand out all the more. Opening one of the double French doors the giant slipped into the house with a grumbled, "I'm home. . ."

He was met with silence yet again and Murasakibara sighed as he trudged through the house to the large gourmet kitchen, intent on finding something to snack on before heading up to Akashi's office. After looking between a stick of umaibō and a box of pocky for a few minutes the giant decided to choose the simpler choice and took the strawberry flavored pocky with him. The umaibō's wrapper would annoy Akashi anyways.

A couple minutes later found Murasakibara lightly tapping on the door to his alpha's office room. He stood there for a few seconds, having enough time to shove another pocky stick in his mouth before the leader's quiet but firm voice filtered through the thick wood, granting him access. He entered slowly, his feet shuffling across the wooden floor before being planted firmly at the carpet's edge surrounding Akashi's desk. He watched as Akashi gathered several papers together, clipping them and putting them in one of his drawers. The alpha swiped his hand across his desk to remove nonexistent dust before his eyes lifted to meet his.

Murasakibara took a second to stare into his alpha's heterochromatic eyes. The colors were bright in the slightly dark room but the circles around his eyes told of the numerous sleepless nights the alpha had endured lately. His expression was one of warmth, however slight, but it was instinct that made Murasakibara advert his gaze from his alpha's in respect. The giant reached in his pocket for another pocky stick, bringing it up to his mouth while giving Akashi a small bow of his head.

"It's good to see you again after so long." The leader spoke. He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them. "I trust that your mission was a success?" he questioned lightly. Murasakibara nodded his head, his eyes flickering to the right as he debated on how to break the news of the vampire's possible plans. Akashi seemed to take notice of his hesitance and a frown slightly marred his sharp features. "Is something wrong?" He asked with a tilt of his head. His eyes narrowed before saying, "Did those parasites do something to you?"

"I believe I have information on the possible future schemes of the Nisshoku Clan." Was all Murasakibara said. His tone clipped and to the point as it was disrespectful to the alpha otherwise when discussing things about the war.

"I'm listening."

* * *

Kuroko was rather enjoying the week after the traumatizing incident with the werewolf. He didn't know what to think after he had formally met the huge werewolf. It was surprising when one day he had a giant offering his hand out to him with a small apology from before and a quick mention that his name was "Murasakibara." All Kuroko could do was shake the proffered hand and introduce himself politely like usual although it was stiffer than normal. It startled him to see that the wolf who tried to kill him was the overly tall teen with obnoxious purple hair and an unhealthy obsession with snacks.

He was a little nervous being around Murasakibara for a few days but he learned that the werewolf was usually pretty laidback and didn't cause much trouble. He wished Kise could be like that however. It took a while for him to eventually stop chastising the purplenette about almost ripping Kuroko's head off, and it got annoying with their constant bickering over it. But now Kuroko was back at school, surrounded by familiar friends that wouldn't accidentally turn into a hulking beast and rip him to shreds, away from all of the werewolf pack's tutoring for the supernatural, and most importantly, he was playing basketball again.

Midorima had given him a status checkup for his head injury and told him he had been healing well over the past month. The cut had been an ugly one but Kuroko had made sure to keep the stitches secure, and refrained from doing any strenuous activities that could possibly cause him more harm than good. It was all worth it in the end, as his wound was now all but completely gone. The fight with Murasakibara had worried him about his cut. Thinking that it could have ripped open again from when he had banged his head down on the ground Kuroko went to Midorima to have him check over the gash again, fearing for the worst.

He was surprised when the greenette had instead told him the cut was doing very well in its healing process and he could take the sutures out if he wanted. Kuroko didn't hesitate in saying yes to the offer. It was a few minutes later after that he was stitches free and feeling relieved that he hadn't ruined his head any more so than what it had already gone through. His bruising also cleared up a lot. Some of the bigger and deeper ones were still a light yellow upon his skin but everything else had disappeared. Kuroko was relishing in the fact that he didn't have to apply makeup onto his face anytime soon, which was great news, seeing as he didn't have to feel so worried about his friends possibly seeing his bruised face anymore.

Kagami- although it wasn't as often- continued to ask him little questions here and there concerning his health. Kuroko truthfully answered most, but ignored the ones that seemed too close for comfort. However, it made him feel honored that he had such a caring friend, even if the redhead didn't show it that often.

Riko had also stopped pestering him about basketball practice since he started going again. Things were still a bit tense between them since Kuroko never got around to telling her the whole truth as to why he had missed so many days of practice. But the bluenette knew that the coach would eventually give up and accept the fact that he wouldn't be letting anything slip anytime soon.

Now Kuroko wishes that his teammates would be that understanding too. But ever since he had mentioned his parents, the team had been trying relentlessly to get him to talk about them more. Kuroko guessed they were being nosy because he had never mentioned them beforehand. And when Kagami slipped up that he had met both his parents and seen his house too, the team had erupted in an outrage. It was a little comical at first, seeing most of them complain about it but it quickly escalated into annoying after they all got the idea to invite themselves over. Kuroko squashed that idea down fast without mercy.

Things mellowed out the next few days and Kuroko was hesitant to admit it but . . . today was _boring, _to say the least. It was the usual day, nothing special happened and that was exactly _why _things started to bore the bluenette. It was probably because of all the interesting things that happened over at Akashi's- not that he wanted to admit he had been spending most of his time there- but after everything he had gone through, it was just strange not to have some kind of supernatural occurrence in his life. He hadn't seen the werewolves in three days.

Akashi had forced him to remain in the city, saying nothing for the reason except a few words of, "they have to plan" and "human teenagers would only get in the way." Kuroko was miffed about the last sentence. He didn't try to correct the werewolf that technically they were all teenagers, although he was half tempted to. And what did being human have to do with anything?! Those werewolves and anything supernatural were seriously racist freaks. But he found he didn't mind much. Basketball practice was now something he could enjoy again and the phantom player was playing every second he got. It wouldn't be long now before he could go meet up with his team to play.

After several agonizingly boring hours, school finally ended and the bell rang throughout the class, signaling school was over. Kuroko stood from his desk, slinging his bag over his shoulder and making his way around his desk to Kagami's. He stared down at the redhead who was presumably sleeping, his arms spilling over the top of his desk and a pool of drool accumulating beneath his open mouth. Kuroko quietly sighed to himself at the pitiful display of his friend. Kagami usually fell asleep in class. So much so, that the teachers had given up entirely on trying to keep the power forward awake during their lessons.

They've learnt that it was futile to maintain the teen's attention in class and have begun to leave Kagami to his own devices; which wasn't really good for the redhead's academic status but as long as he did his work it was fine and Kagami always turned his work in and almost never missed a day or was late. So the teachers and he had come to a mutual agreement that if Kagami did his work, the teachers in turn would allow the redhead to sleep. Kuroko knew that Kagami mostly slept because he stayed up late playing basketball on school nights, being the basketball-idiot he was, but the teachers didn't need to know that.

Kuroko laid a hand on his light's shoulder, giving the sleeping teen a small shake. "Kagami-kun." He said monotonously, having grown used to waking him up after classes were over. Kagami didn't even stir, only a loud snore escaping from the passed out player's lips. The corners of Kuroko's lips fell and he shook the teen harder, his voice rising a little. "Kagami-kun, it is time to wake up, class is over." He spoke again, irritation starting to lace his tone. Kagami moaned and lifted a hand up to swat at Kuroko before turning his head and settling into sleep again. Kuroko's eyebrow twitched. "Kagami-kun, we will be late for basketball practice if you do not wake up."

Kagami's head abruptly shot up and a tired "what?" was mumbled from the drowsy redhead, a string of saliva attached to Kagami's lips from the desk. The power forward ran a hand through his hair and it took him a few seconds before he realized that there was spit still connecting him to the desk. Kuroko blinked as Kagami made a disgusted sound and roughly ran a hand over his mouth to remove the drool.

"Ugh . . . gross." Kagami grimaced while rubbing his other hand over his eye. He blinked up sleepily to the surrounding room, taking notice of the lack of students and then quickly stood up when his eyes met the clock. "Come on Kuroko! Don't just stand there, we're going to be late!" he shouted, grabbing his bag and hauling it over his shoulder as he ran out of the room. _Didn't I just tell you that? _Kuroko thought blandly. With a small shake of his head, the bluenette followed the frantic redhead out of the room, but at a more leisurely pace.

Kuroko made his way through the semi-empty halls. Passing by people who were looking bewilderedly over their shoulders to where Kagami had most likely passed them in his mad dash. He looked to his right, eyes searching through the tall windows in the hall and frowned at the far away clouds covering the horizon. It hadn't rained in almost two weeks and Kuroko was enjoying the time he had in the sun. Spring was always a rainy season and it was a miracle they even got this long without the irritating grey storm clouds overhead.

Kuroko picked up his pace after reading the time off the digital clock, and hurried down the rest of the way to the gym. But it was at this time when he faltered in his steps upon hearing a light ringing sound from his bag. Kuroko furrowed his brows in confusion and stopped in his tracks, reaching into his bag to pull out a small phone. He didn't ever remember buying a new one, and this one was buzzing almost desperately in his hands with an unknown number flashing across its touchscreen. It was certainly one of the latest models out in the stores, and Kuroko quirked his head curiously as he swiped the slide to answer the phone.

"Tetsuya."

Kuroko mentally jumped as Akashi's cool voice filtered through the line. What was this? How did Akashi get the number for this phone? Why does he even have the phone? Kuroko glanced at his bag around his shoulder suspiciously. Perhaps Akashi put the phone in his bag when he wasn't looking. But thinking back on all the times he was at Akashi's, he either had the bag with him at all times or didn't even bring it with him. So how did he . . .?

"We will talk about the phone later. I found it mandatory that you have a source for communication if need be," Akashi spoke, practically reading his mind. "You're presence is required at the mansion now. We have acquired certain news that is possibly beneficial for us; however, until you arrive we cannot proceed with our plans. I will be expecting you within the next half hour. Until then." the alpha's voice suddenly cut off and the line went dead, a small beeping noise the only sound remaining.

Kuroko pulled the phone from his ear and stared at the device. Was the alpha always this overbearing? He pocketed the phone and glanced out the window again. The clouds grew ever nearer and a few flashes of lightning lit the sky. He hoped it didn't rain.

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**If you found any grammar errors, please tell me and I'll correct them right away! Anyways, how was it? I'm starting to find it difficult to express each character, so please tell me how I'm doing on that. And guess what happens in the next chapter?! Action! Yes! Finally, the author is going to write those gory and thrilling action scenes in the next chapter.  
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**Until next time~**


	8. Chapter 8: Third Time's a Charm

**Hello my readers! I'm terribly sorry for the late update, please forgive me. It's just, this chapter was a pain to write and for some reason I'm experiencing a major writer's block. Hopefully it will go away soon, so don't give up on me and this story! Anyways, apparently I lied in the last chapter about there being action. Turns out this chapter didn't get to that point yet. Curse me and my habit of writing everything to the tiniest detail! But the next chapter will definitely contain some of that gory and action-y goodness. Alright, enough of my rambling, let's get to the story! Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 8: Third Time's a Charm **

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The sounds of shoes squeaking against the floor and basketballs being dribbled across the court could be heard from outside of Seirin High's gym, the building bursting with lively shouts and laughs as the only basketball team in Seirin practiced with determined fervor. If one were to look inside they would see the team hard at work in the middle of their daily practice for the week. Every member was effortlessly performing high speed maneuvering techniques against each other or shooting well-aimed basketballs into the net, the orange balls never coming close to touching the rim of the goal. Even though the team had been practicing fervently for almost two hours no one was remotely close to calling it times, all of the members pushing themselves to improve. That is, all but one.

Kuroko huffed out a breath of air, his lungs feeling like they were on fire from the lack of air and his heart hammering so hard against his ribs he thought it was going to explode. He raised a shaky hand up to his forehead, brushing the sticky and sweat-laced hair away from his slick skin as he tried to catch his breath. He felt his legs shake from the strain trying to hold his quivering body up, the muscles in his legs going weak from the stress he had just put them through. The phantom player slowly knelt to the floor, allowing his legs and lungs to take a break while his heart tried to catch up with his labored breathing. His hair fell back into his eyes and Kuroko lightly swiped the strands away, giving him a clear view of the other side of the court where Kagami was dunking a basketball into the net.

The fatigued bluenette watched almost enviously as Kagami hopped down from the basket and landed without trouble, a cocky grin on his face. They had been practicing relentlessly for the past hour and a half, their practice regimen for the day being sharpening their skills in the things they lack most. Kagami—who lacked in next to none—decided to perform all of his abilities with his left hand. It had obviously been difficult for the redhead at first but now he was able to do most things with his non-dominate hand just as well as his right. Even now Kagami was executing amazing evasive maneuvers with his left hand without breaking a sweat. Now it wasn't the fact that Kagami could do all of those things that made Kuroko envious—no, it was the fact that even though they had been at this for so long, the basketball-idiot didn't even look close to becoming exhausted.

Was Kuroko's stamina really that nonexistent? He had been playing basketball for just as long as Kagami yet the differences between them were too great, a fact that tended to grate on the shadow's nerves every now and then. It was okay though, since all Kuroko needed to be was support for his light, but he couldn't stop the feeling of wanting to be better, if only just a little bit. That was why he had started out the practice by throwing basketballs into the net—or at least attempting to. Most of his shots had either bounced off of the annoying and ever-present rim of the goal, or had just plainly missed the net entirely, much to Kuroko's chagrin. He would guess he made around eight shots that actually went through the net out of the dozens he had thrown. The depressing ratio difference had made the bluenette change his practice choice to simply jogging around the gym to build up his stamina, at least that way he wouldn't have to worry about losing any more dignity than he already lost.

Sitting on the ground afterwards, practically dying from loss of breathe was beginning to make Kuroko question whether or not the effort was worth it. All that time off from basketball practice during his stay with the pack had left him seriously out of shape, and he was now starting to feel the repercussions of it. It was a probably a good thing he came to practice today though, since he would've had to wait the whole weekend before he started up practice again. All the time he had been spending with Akashi's pack lately was beginning to make him forget about his responsibilities here at school and within his team. It wouldn't be good if the main supporter of the group began to slack off; everyone in the team was depending on him.

Kuroko's head fell back against the wall behind him, the cold, cemented blocks digging into his spine yet the bluenette didn't have the energy to move. His eyes slid over to the benches placed on the other side of the gym where his school bag was located. If he squinted just a bit he could see the slight reflection of the light glaring off of the new cellphone Akashi had slyly snuck into his bag without his knowing. The device must hold at least a dozen calls by now, a half dozen death threats to go with them. But the phantom player found himself not caring in the slightest, his cerulean blue orbs growing annoyed as he recalled the last discussion he held with the pompous alpha. The sudden call had been surprising to say the least and Kuroko was peeved with the thought of Akashi messing with his things, but those weren't really the reasons that made him infuriated.

It was the way the self-righteous redhead had commanded him with such disrespect that made him so livid. Kuroko knew that Akashi was the alpha of his pack and thus held a higher status over all the others. But that didn't mean he could go ordering him around like one of his mindless dogs! Kuroko had put up with him and his overbearing attitude for the past month only because he held the decision of taking his life or not. But now—especially after the stunt Akashi had just pulled—the phantom had had enough of the snide comments and low regard held for him by the alpha. Besides, all Kuroko was doing was trying to help, and Akashi was only making it harder for him by being so controlling. That was why he decided to ignore the demand to go to Akashi's and instead went along with his original plan of spending the rest of the day practicing with his teammates, a feeling deep within him wanting to show Akashi that he held no power over him. Kuroko slightly smirked to himself at the thought. It was about time he showed the stubborn leader anyways.

Just because Akashi was alpha and a werewolf meant nothing to Kuroko; he wasn't his parents or a close friend so it didn't give him the right to treat him that way. Three days of ignoring him then the sudden call with a demand of "show up or else?" Kuroko was certain that the werewolf held absolutely no respect for him whatsoever. It wasn't hard to figure out anyways, and he would be surprised if the other werewolves haven't felt the obvious tension between them already. Kuroko didn't know what the alpha's problem with him was. He knew it was reasonable for the heterochromatic-eyed wolf to be a little unpleasant with him, seeing as he had played a part in ruining their plan when he was first confronted by the vampires. But anyone would have let that grudge go by now, especially since he had offered his help in their battle against the leeches. However, Akashi didn't look to be so adamant on forgiving him any time soon.

Kuroko was willing to let most of Akashi's snide remarks go without a second thought, thinking that the way Akashi treated him was just a part of his personality—however cruel it may be. But over the weeks of getting to know each of them individually, Kuroko found that Akashi was usually much more open around his pack mates. He spent whatever time he had away from his work mingling with the rest of his pack. Although he might not express his emotions as freely as Kise or Aomine, Kuroko had seen Akashi smile slightly to himself while the pack had fought over the smallest of things, a look of warmth on his face like that of an older brother watching over his squabbling siblings. So it couldn't have been Akashi's personality that pushed him to act this way towards him, he wasn't hostile by nature and obviously had a soul buried deep within that unsympathetic heart of his. Kuroko had wondered a few days after that discovery to try and find a plausible reason for Akashi's harsh behavior.

His next guess was that Akashi was using him as a stress reliever. It made sense that it would be him out of everyone else in their little group. Kuroko wasn't closely knitted into the pack like the rest of them were. He was practically a stranger who had invaded in on their personal lives, an outsider who didn't belong or knew anything of them and had to be lead through their principles by the hand like a small ignorant child. Plus, it would take a blind person not to see the dark color circling around the exhausted teen's mismatched eyes. Akashi was usually found confined inside of his office, unseen for days before Kuroko would catch even a glimpse of him. Since the time Kuroko had first met the alpha the bags beneath his eyes have been ever present, only getting worse as time went on and looking as if they would never disappear. The war between the pack and the vampire clan was really taking its toll on the stressed werewolf. Kuroko wouldn't be surprised if Akashi were to suddenly drop one day in the near future.

But now Kuroko was tired of trying to make up justifications to excuse Akashi's behavior. It wasn't acceptable no matter what the circumstances were, and he was going to show the werewolf that he wasn't some personal punching bag for him to swing at whenever he liked. Kuroko was a human being with feelings—even though he didn't express them that openly—and deserved to be treated with respect. Akashi's status as both an alpha and werewolf didn't change that, and it was about time he made the pompous wolf realize he didn't control him in any way. Kuroko was done allowing the alpha to play his game.

The rest of the day went by quickly for Kuroko. He joined back up with his team shortly after taking his break and was proud to say that he didn't rest once afterwards, determination being the only thing to keep his body going. That and the fact that there was a noticeable difference between his shooting skills from when he started and after the practice ended. He even received a few congratulated remarks from his team who saw the way he improved, now being able to easily shoot a two pointer with a higher success rate. Kagami had brought up the idea to celebrate his accomplishment at Maji Burger but Kuroko had to turn the offer down, since he really needed to get to Akashi's, even if he didn't want to. The team didn't seem too disappointed by his answer, probably since he actually partook in practice that day, and they all parted ways with a wave of their hand and farewells.

Kuroko traveled briskly through the slightly crowded streets of Tokyo, his feet sluggishly leading him towards the closest station so he could take a train down the rest of the way to Akashi's. Honestly, he would have preferred going straight home after practice, the strenuous training was exhausting and the thought of a hot shower and a warm bed waiting at home for him was extremely inviting. But Akashi had talked about a new "plan" for the vampires, so although he had ignored his order to head to the mansion immediately he was still going to go for the sake of quenching his curiosity. That curiosity being how Akashi had took to him disobeying his demand. He hadn't ignored Akashi before, always playing the good human to the werewolf and carrying out any order he requested. Of course, at the time, it was mostly because he feared for his life more than not and was quick to do as told so as to ensure the safety of his life.

The next thing he was curious to find out was the werewolves' plan in general. Several weeks had gone by without one sign of the vampires. The leeches had been keeping it low since he has been kept under the watchful eye of the werewolves for the time being. It was suspicious for them to be so silent for such an extended period of time, the werewolves usually had a vampire problem every other day with the Nisshoku Clan but they've yet to catch even a whiff of their repulsive stench for weeks. It was eerie to say the least and there was always an ominous feeling constantly weighing on their shoulders since the vampires disappeared without a trace. The werewolves were growing anxious by the second from the vampires' suspicious activity—or lack thereof. That was why it was intriguing to find out from Akashi's last call that they had finally found a lead to the bloodsuckers' latest schemes. Maybe the vamps had finally decided to make a move.

Kuroko mulled silently to himself as he rode the train down to the closest station to Akashi's, leaving the subway to travel the rest of the way by foot. The trail he decided to take was a shortcut that Midorima had shown him once. It was nice to know and an extreme convenience since the way to Akashi's was a long one and took a lot of precious time to actually get there. It was peaceful as Kuroko treaded along the beaten path leading through the forest, the way being lit by thin rays of light escaping through the trees from the sunset. It felt nice to have silence for once, not being bothered by the many disturbances that living in a city brought. The sky was a beautiful mixture of several colors blended together and Kuroko felt relaxed as he slowly grew closer to the werewolves' mansion, his pace never faltering once. But that all came to an unsightly death as he finally stepped up onto the front porch.

He was only a few paces from the door but he could feel an_ immensely_ menacing vibe radiating from within the house. It all but oozed out of all the available cracks from the house and Kuroko feared he would be burned if he came within a ten foot radius of it. Kuroko mentally checked off the curiosity of what Akashi's reaction was; it was apparent that he had thoroughly pissed off the werewolf alpha. Kuroko struggled to swallow a lump in his throat, his thoughts racing to the worst possible scenarios of when Akashi got his claws on him. He wouldn't doubt the alpha was patiently waiting behind the doors to pounce on him when he walked into the house, the heterochromatic-eyed wolf desperate to get his hands on him so that he could give him an atrocious demise. Perhaps disobeying the alpha hadn't been one of his best ideas ever. . .

Kuroko roughly shook his head at that thought. No, he did this for a reason; this wasn't the time to chicken out and flee to the farthest corners of the earth. Besides, it was already too late to back out on it even if he wanted to and he was pretty sure that hiding in the icy tundra of Antarctica wouldn't keep him safe from Akashi's furious wrath. So steeling his nerves with a final inhale of air, the phantom gripped the doorknob firmly and pushed the door open to step into the house. He must have closed his eyes during this time because he stood there at the entrance, seeing nothing as he stood ramrod straight, waiting for the alpha to come give him a nasty death. But he was only met with silence and Kuroko blinked his eyes open in confusion as he peered into the dark entry hall, no flaming-alpha coming to rain doom on him in sight.

Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed in further confusion when not even Kise or Aomine came to give him some kind of greeting, the house being too quiet to be considered normal. He cautiously stepped further into the house; his head swerving around to catch any trace of the werewolves as he softly closed the door behind him. It was strange, usually one of the wolves would have come to meet him by now but as he waited by the door for a few seconds not one sound came to his ears to alert him of anyone being home. The werewolves couldn't have left could they? Kuroko shook his head at the unspoken question, leaning down to slip off his shoes and place his bag neatly next to the entrance so he could venture into the dark house.

The wolves must still be here—or at least one of them. They never left the house unsupervised since it was too risky and gave a chance for the vampires or any other supernatural creature to ransack the place. And whoever was here must know that he had come in. Kuroko knew that a werewolf's ability to detect things with their sense of smell and hearing was unbelievably good and that there were few things out there that could sneak up on them. Even though his weak presence was one of the few things that could confuse a werewolf's senses for a short while, he had used the door so the sound would have alerted anyone of his presence—werewolf or not. But not one sound of acknowledgement came as Kuroko silently traveled further into the mansion, looking for a small sign that some kind of life was present inside the overly large house.

It wasn't until he had made it all the way into the back hallways of the mansion that the shadow finally heard the soft echoes of voices. Kuroko was a little relieved to hear the familiar sounds of the pack and quickly made his way towards them, eager to get away from the deafening silence. But his pace swiftly dwindled down to a slow walk once he realized that the path he was taking was leading him down into the unexplored parts of the mansion, the place where Akashi had forbidden him to go into. Kuroko cautiously glanced around the halls, the light leading his way diminishing in strength as the sun quickly fell behind the horizon, leaving him in the dark of the unfamiliar surroundings. And it only took a couple steps after that before Kuroko came to a steadfast conclusion that he was now utterly and undoubtedly lost.

His steps fell short so that he could concentrate on his surroundings, his ears straining to pick up any sounds from the pack so that he could find his way to them. But he frowned slightly when all he was met with was a deafening stillness, the voices of the pack having disappeared altogether. Kuroko stood there, unsure of what to do next. He was lost in the maze that was Akashi's house and in a restricted part at that. He didn't want to wander off and accidently stumble upon something he wasn't supposed to. That would definitely ensure a painful death if his previous disobedience didn't. Maybe he could just go back the way he came? Kuroko turned around to retrace his steps, walking down to the closest corner and stopping to look in both directions that the hallway leads to. _Was it right or left? _Kuroko mulled over the choice and sighed in defeat when his mind drew up a blank.

Turning around again Kuroko decided to just walk forward until he came to a familiar area or someone came to kill him for trespassing in restricted territory, either way was fine as long as he moved and didn't stay in the creepy halls. The mansion really reflected on its owner's personality; the place was always cold and the intimidating appearance made you fear for your wellbeing, that and the mazes were just as confusing as the person as well. Kuroko sighed once again and made a small turn to begin walking the same way as before but came to an abrupt halt as yellow suddenly flooded his vision.

"Kurokocchi!"

It all happened too fast and before Kuroko's mind could catch up to his body, he was already instinctively swinging a fist in the direction of the unexpected voice. A startled yelp left the person as Kuroko felt his fist connect with hard muscle, pain soon erupting in his hand afterward as if he had just punched a rock. The one he had hit went down in a flurry of surprise, making spluttering noises of confusion while Kuroko gripped his hand in pain, his face morphing into a grimace. Kuroko felt his eyes close tightly while his hand angrily throbbed unrelentingly, the feeling only continuing to worsen. He wouldn't be surprised if he broke something. Kuroko made a small hissing noise as he opened his eyes to glare down at the culprit who caused him pain.

Kise stared up at him with wide eyes, nursing an area on his face where Kuroko had hit him. "Kurokocchi!" Kise gave a whine while tears started to prickle at the edges of his eyes. "Why did you hit me?" he asked while pulling himself up, his hand never leaving his cheek. Kuroko quirked an eyebrow at Kise's dramatic ploy, and crossed his arms, momentarily forgetting about his injured hand.

"Why did you try to jump me?" Kuroko questioned instead of answering the blonde, blatantly ignoring Kise's kicked-puppy look with a heated glare that could melt steel.

Kise seemed to curl up on himself, his shoulders hunching in shame. "I didn't try to jump you." Kise mumbled to himself while looking away. Kuroko stared at him unamused and Kise quickly glanced back up to wave his arms around frantically. "I didn't!" he protested with a pout forming on his face. "And Kurokocchi's punch hurt!" Kise added as an afterthought, making Kuroko's eye twitch.

His punch shouldn't have fazed the blonde in the slightest. Werewolves were pretty sturdy in regards to taking a blow and Kuroko's hit wouldn't have made a werewolf blink. Not saying that he was weak or anything but there was too much of a difference between a werewolf's strength and a human's, he knew that his punch wouldn't even leave a bruise on Kise's face. And if he were to be truly honest, Kise should have dodged that punch from him easily. Kise might not be the fastest in reflexes for a werewolf but he was extremely observant, and he should have caught the slightest movement from him before he even raised his fist. So Kuroko knew the werewolf was faking it merely for attention and had allowed himself to get hit.

But Kise's face was too pure of surprise to be acting, at least to Kuroko. The phantom liked to believe his observation skills were above most people's out there, if not just as good as a werewolf's. And the blonde wolf's face was too innocent to be anything deceitful after he punched him. So maybe he had actually taken the teen by surprise and managed to hit him because of it. It was either that or Kise had succeeded in improving his acting abilities since the last time he saw him three days ago. Kuroko's mind trailed back to when Kise had looked like Aomine just told him he had ripped up his model magazines after he punched him and decided to go with the former idea. Kise wasn't that good at fooling Kuroko.

"Where are the others?" Kuroko asked, growing tired of Kise's antics and wanting to get on with whatever Kise was there for. He obviously didn't come sneaking up on him just to get punched and whine about it. Akashi must have sent Kise to fetch Kuroko and bring him to him.

His question startled Kise out of his pout and Kise gave one last rub to his cheek before saying, "Down in the arsenal."

The phantom furrowed his bows in confusion. The arsenal? Did the werewolves have such a place? It probably shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did. Of course the werewolves had a secret room underground stashed with all kinds of illegal killing machines and weapons, what supernatural creature didn't nowadays? _Is there anything Akashi doesn't have? _Kuroko asked himself. He had been here for how long already and it was just now that he was told about their secret basement they supposedly had? He didn't understand why Akashi would keep such a thing from him. It wasn't like he was going to go snooping in there to find a weapon and kill them all. But he supposed he wasn't inclined to know everything about the werewolves either, he should accept the fact that no matter what, they were always going to hide things from him.

"Come on, I'll show you where it is." Kise chirped happily, all but forgetting about their previous spat as he led him down the hall. Kuroko almost wanted to refuse the blonde's invitation to see the secret room just for the heck of being difficult, but decided against it at the last second and followed closely behind the golden-eyed teen.

Kuroko trailed after Kise as they walked through the now completely dark mansion, all signs of sunlight having disappeared long ago. They now travelled by the silver light of the moon as it shined faintly through the thin cover of clouds, basking everything in an ethereal glow. Kuroko glanced up at the moon curiously and then fell down to rest on Kise's form, the werewolf unusually silent for once. The wolf was walking at a leisurely pace and appeared to be in no way of a hurry, but Kuroko spotted glimpses of the teen wringing his hands together and every now and again Kise's steps would falter, almost as if he was anxious for something. Giving the moon another glance, a thought came to Kuroko's mind that hadn't before and he turned to look at Kise fully, watching as the wolf seemed to wallow in nervousness over something. Kuroko decided to take the werewolf's mind off of whatever was bothering him.

"There's something I want to ask you Kise-kun." Kuroko started hesitantly, observing the way Kise's ears seemed to perk up like a dog's. Kuroko waited before Kise gave a small sound to show that he was listening and continued. "The full moon was two days ago. Was there a reason Akashi-kun had me stay away from here around that time?" Kise's pace dramatically decreased for a split second before the blonde continued as if nothing happened, but Kuroko's sharp eyes caught the way Kise almost tripped from the question and narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you say that?" Kise asked with a small chuckle, trying to play off the hitch in his steps. Kuroko found it to be a little admirable that Kise managed to answer without stuttering over his words and picked up his pace to match the blonde teen's.

"There are many stories surrounding your customs," Kuroko elaborated while falling into step with the taller teen, "but most that I have read seem to be too farfetched and full of holes. And since Akashi-kun had ordered me to stop coming it sparked my interest to find out why, since it was only requested around the time the full moon rose."

A look of understanding suddenly bloomed on Kise's face and he gave an amused chuckle, his eyes shining in mirth. "Are you talking about us going through a forced transformation on the full moon?" Kise asked while trying to stifle a laugh from escaping his lips, which caused him to make a few choking sounds.

Kuroko's lips pulled into a frown at Kise's behavior. He didn't understand what was so funny about his question. It was an honest one and he was curious to know since no one had told him the truth about the full moon transformations the werewolves were so famous for. To be honest, there was quite a lot he still didn't know about the werewolves. At this point one would have expected him to know most everything about them considering the amount of time he has spent with the shapeshifters, but Akashi was adamant on sharing as little as possible about them to the bluenette—much to his annoyance.

Kise stopped to turn around and gave the phantom a toothy grin. "We don't actually do that—the whole 'mindless wolf transformation on full moon' thing." Kise raised his hands to quote the false statement before shoving them into his pockets. "That's just a story humans made up to try and create a false sense of security for their wellbeing. If they thought werewolves only came out during the full moon then there was a better chance of finding out who was a wolf and executing them, not that they were very successful on that part before werewolf-hunters came around."

Kise's words made sense, to a point at least. It was human nature to try and produce beliefs of certain things that didn't make sense. And the lies surrounding the supernatural were all formed to make it seem like the humans knew everything about them, only for their ignorant belief. They probably did know everything at one point, but the information was warped numerous times to fit in today's modern society. No one really cared anyways since things like vampires and werewolves were regarded as folktales now, and humans didn't really have to worry about their lives anymore because of the technological improvements over the centuries. To anyone else, there was no such thing as werewolves and vampires sparkled—end of discussion.

"Well, we're here."

Kuroko looked up at Kise to see him gesturing towards a door behind him. Kuroko didn't notice they had stopped right in front of it, the door being a thick, dark mahogany that was almost impossible for the bluenette to see in the darkness. It was a plain door that didn't spark any interest for the average passerby, but that was probably the point since it was the entrance for their supposed "arsenal." Kuroko stood as Kise moved to open the door; the wood giving a groan like it hadn't been touched in decades. The wood made a creak of protest when Kise opened it as wide as it could go and Kuroko stepped forward to peer into the gaping darkness that was laid out behind the door. His eyes tried to adjust to the blackness but to no avail as there was not a trace of light escaping the room, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to see his own hand before his eyes if he stepped into the darkness.

Kise stood next to the door, waving his hand inside the room in sign for him to go in first. Kuroko gave him a look of uncertainty before stepping into the room. He walked a few paces in, eyes straining for anything he could distinguish from the blackness but it proved to be futile as the room suddenly lit up in a dim light, the light illuminating everything in a vague glow. Kuroko blinked as the light invaded his sensitive eyes, taking a few seconds for them to adjust before looking around the room. He was a little disappointed by what he saw. The room was practically bare, save for a few blades and guns placed on a small rickety shelf on the far side of the wall and other weapons stacked hazardously in a corner. Kuroko raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

_This _was their arsenal; a small room with weapons strewn together in piles across the floor? _Please tell me this is a joke. _Kuroko mentally begged to himself. If this really was their arsenal then all respect and expectations of the werewolves' abilities just dropped to the negatives, never to be seen again. It was unlike Akashi to be so unprepared; the alpha usually had every scenario planned out to the end before anyone came close to making a move, using the heterochromatic-eyed teen's own words Kuroko would say that Akashi was "absolute" in everything that he did. But as he looked around the room again and saw that the small lightbulb lighting the room was cracked and dangling low on a chain, Kuroko's values on the werewolf pack plummeted so far that he was sure they no longer existed.

Kise suddenly moved past him which startled him out of his thoughts and the bluenette watched as Kise made his way to the wall opposite of the door with the old shelf and leaned down to run his hand under the wood. Kuroko was about to ask him what he was doing but before the words could escape his mouth the blonde gave a triumphant noise and the sound of a switch flicking was heard in the room. Kuroko stared at the blonde as Kise stood back up with a smirk on his face but the expression quickly melted off as his golden eyes fell on something by Kuroko's feet. "Ah! You might want to—"

His words were suddenly broken off as the ground beneath his feet began to shake, making the lithe teen stumble off balance. It was a miracle that he had enough sense to make a jump for it to the farthest side of the wall, since the place where he was standing suddenly started to break apart. Kuroko watched with his eyebrows raised to his hairline as the floor in the center of the room began to open up, the stone folding in on itself to form a large gaping hole that lead down below the ground. It took it a few seconds before there was a perfectly square shaped entrance where the rocky floor used to be, the mouth opening up to a steep staircase that lead to Kami knows what. Kuroko slowly made his way around to stare down the dark pathway, the tunnel looking like that of a large mouth waiting to swallow him whole. _Of course they have a secret passageway, _Kuroko scathingly thought, _because that's totally normal. _

Kuroko glanced up when he heard Kise shuffle around, watching as the blonde came to stand next to him. The teen gave him a small nudge with his elbow while smiling an infectious grin. "Pretty cool, right?" He asked the bluenette before skipping down the dark hole like it was an everyday occurrence.

Kuroko could only stare down at the first stair laid out before him, not trusting where the wolf could possibly be taking him. He liked Kise, honestly, but with the apprehensive behavior he was showing along the way here and then the sudden declaration that everyone was down in some kind of armory that he had never heard of before now, it was all extremely suspicious. For all he knew, the copycat could be leading him down to his death or some kind of other torture, and in an underground secret passageway to boot. No one would ever come close to finding him if he were to follow Kise into the darkness. The frightening scenarios creeping through the bluenette's thoughts made the small teen glance over his shoulder towards the old door behind him.

It was his last chance to save his life if he were to flee right now. All he would have to do is quickly hit the switch that Kise had flipped beneath the shelf and hope that the floor closed up fast enough before the blonde realized that he would be trapped underneath the brick. After that he could make a run for it back through the maze of hallways, possibly coming across the front door to his freedom before Kise could warn everyone else of his traitorous escape. Then he could run back to the city. Though he was sure the werewolves would have a way to open the floor entrance or had another exit and would already be on their way to finish him off. So, miraculously avoiding the werewolves' attempts to capture him using his misdirection, Kuroko could somehow make it to an airport and fly off to some far-away country. No longer having to worry about the supernatural anymore, Kuroko could live a simple life under the radar and the wolves would never come close to finding him.

Kuroko's eyes moved to rest on the shelf from across the hole in front of him, his gaze set in the general area where he was sure the switch would be present. He could do it. The plan to escape—however improbable—was his last chance for life. If he could somehow pull it off then he would have a higher chance of surviving to see his twenties. It was better than finding out what could be waiting for him in the secret underground room. The bluenette felt his fingers twitch in anticipation for the outrageous stunt he was about to pull, his body tensing in anxiety for the future events, and his rational thoughts screaming at his stupidity for executing a plan so full of loop holes. But Kuroko pushed all his thoughts away, standing stiffly in unease as he watched Kise's back slowly disappear out of the corner of his eye into the darkness, the blonde travelling further down the stairs. He would strike when he couldn't see the bright red hoodie the wolf was wearing.

"Oi!" a voice rang out from the stairway, violently throwing the phantom out of his concentration. "Aren't you going to come down?" Kuroko blinked at the shelf in confusion before glancing down the passageway to see midnight-blue locks forming out of the darkness, Aomine's form quickly climbing up the stairs to stand next to him. Kuroko felt himself tense, his body guarded and full of weariness at the closeness of the other. "We're all waiting for you." The tall wolf remarked nonchalantly, either missing his movements or completely ignoring them.

Kuroko studied the way Aomine's posture was set into its usual laidback indifference and how the tan teen's face didn't show anything suspicious, just expressing the same bored appearance like always. He didn't seem like anything was out of place or appeared to be hiding anything from him. The werewolf was acting like it was any other ordinary day, not a speck of suspicion shining in the cobalt blue of his eyes. _How can he feel so indifferent before my death?_ The blue shadow thought to himself, confusion starting to overtake the previous thoughts of his fear-stricken plan of escape. Maybe he had read the whole situation wrong and only thought that they were planning on killing him because of paranoia to the unknown.

Besides, why would the werewolves kill him over something so petty? They needed him to help dispose of the vampire threats, and killing him would merely take away the only advantage the werewolves had over the leeches. It all made sense, yet the bluenette felt sour at the conclusion that the only reason he was still alive was because he was a tool for them to use. Sometimes it was better to just follow along and not think too much into a situation.

"Apologies, Aomine-kun." Kuroko spoke aloud, making the dark bluenette glance over his shoulder at him from a few steps below. "I was just surprised from the sudden appearance of the entrance." It wasn't the total truth, but the hotheaded werewolf didn't need to know that.

"Heh, it's fine." Aomine replied with a shrug of his shoulders, continuing down the rest of the stairs. "Just hurry, we'll be leaving in a bit and you need to get ready." After saying that Aomine opened up a door at the end of the hall, light flooding to illuminate the stairway, and disappeared into the room beyond. Kuroko's head tilted at his words, wondering what he could mean by them. But he didn't think too much on it, shaking his head to rid any wandering thoughts, making his blue locks fall slightly in his eyes. Taking one last glance at the door behind him, Kuroko let out a puff of air to blow the bangs away from his vision and set one foot on a stair, beginning his short journey to the open door at the end of the several steep steps.

He half expected to see a room full of hazardous weapons stacked everywhere the eye could see, the artilleries ranging from small knifes to full-blown rocket launchers. Every wall lined with specialized weapons that could kill you in the most gruesome of ways and nothing would be left to the imagination. There would be a huge monitor screen with all sorts of machines attached to it, the electronics too far advanced compared to the simplicities in the outside world, something that no one had ever seen before.

And finally, there would have to be some kind of torture chamber. Knowing the werewolves, it wouldn't be surprising if they had a place dedicated just for torturing helpless supernatural creatures so that they could pry information out of them. Just the thought made shivers plummet down his spine in abhorrence. However, when he walked fully into the brightly lit room and waited for his eyes to adjust to the sudden change in light, Kuroko couldn't say he was disappointed when he saw what lay out before him.

The stairs lead down to a huge room that opened up to his immediate left and as he travelled further into the room he noticed that the ceiling extended much higher than what it should have been for being such a short trip below. But he recalled that several rooms above had a few stairs leading into them, so he guessed it made sense that the ceiling was higher than it should be considering. It was a simple yet affective way to create the illusion that nothing was out of place above but gave extra room to be used below. The place was lit by large ceiling lights that almost blinded him when he looked into them, giving the place a very bright illumination and allowed very few shadows to conjure in the corners. With the stained cemented flooring and light grey walls, the place overall resembled an average warehouse. However the materials gathered inside the walls were what really set the place apart from most warehouses.

Just like he had expected, the walls were indeed lined with several weapons but they were mostly blades, knives, and small handguns. No rocket launchers were present amongst the artillery stacked along the walls, much to Kuroko's disappointment. But there were a few shelves gathered beside the wall that held small objects that resembled grenades and other small explosives, although they were slightly different in appearance compared to the average handheld bomb. Remembering what the small grenade had done when he was first attacked by vampires, Kuroko assumed the explosives were probably made by the werewolves themselves. There were other shelves that held different weapons atop them scattered around the room, some of them containing weaponries that Kuroko had never seen before.

On one wall the brick slightly stooped inwards to give the impression that it was cut off from the rest of the space and several articles of clothing resided inside the concave portion of the room. Kuroko walked up to get a closer look, reaching out to take one of the sleeves of a jacket into the tips of his fingers, raising an eyebrow at the leather texture he felt. It was thick and smooth; the glossy black color making him think it was a jacket like a biker would wear. But even though it was closely related to those leather jackets, there were several pockets littered over the material and a hood was attached to the collar, something that was usually unseen on the thick clothing. He wondered why there would be so many pockets on something like a jacket, finding the holes lacing even the insides of the attire.

Moving on to look at the rest of the clothing materials, Kuroko didn't find anything else special. The shelves were stacked with different pairs of combat boots, jeans, and shirts but nothing new stood out to him. That is, until he traveled a bit further and came face to face with a vast collection of computers, books, and drawings littered all across a large rectangular table. He picked up one of the papers, cerulean-eyes scanning over the scrambled numbers scattered across the page. None of it made sense to him but he reasoned that this was where the werewolves did most of their planning against the vampire's conspiracies. Eyes glancing around the section of the room, Kuroko noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to peer curiously at a map plastered to the wall next to the table.

It was a map showing the whole of the Kanto region. Numerous lines were drawn in several colors over the paper, some of them forming circles over certain areas on the map and others leading straight off the map itself. A series of colorful pins were scattered across the paper, indicating something that Kuroko didn't know but one stood out from the rest. A bright red pin was stabbed almost brutally into the wall, the plastic bent in an odd shape and the red disappearing halfway into the cement. But that wasn't what caught his attention—no, it was the way a green line was circled around the pin almost a hundred times, the color encircling a specific area where the pin was placed in. Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed in confusion upon recognizing the location, knowing it was where an old and abandoned train station resided on the outskirts of the city.

It was a shady place where construction workers had given up on building the station because of cost expenses and unsuitable resources. That and the surrounding area did not contain proper qualities to withhold the tunnels beneath them, having collapsed in on itself numerous times while the workers were trying to build it. This caused the surrounding buildings to collapse as well and several casualties occurred, so the city decided it wasn't worth it to build the station while under such unstable conditions and evacuated all the living inhabitants in the area. Now known as the Deadman's Roost, the place was literally a ghost town and had a nasty rumor of being haunted by spirits which attracted thrill-seeking teens all over the city. And that was how Kuroko knew what it was, because he had been there before when he went on a little escapade with his friends when he was younger.

The place was definitely the definition of "creepy," but that didn't explain why the wolves had it circled so many times. _In fact, _Kuroko's eyes blinked when a sudden thought came to surface, _where are the werewolves exactly? _Turning around, the bluenette's cerulean orbs searched swiftly around the underground warehouse to try and spot the werewolf pack's whereabouts, but was stumped when not even a trace of them could be found. He had followed Aomine in here, and Kise had travelled inside before them too, so it wasn't like they could have just disappeared into thin air. Kuroko's brows furrowed as he thought of where they could have gone. Could they have gone through another secret entrance? Seeing how many surprises the werewolves contained, Kuroko wouldn't be shocked to find that there were secret rooms within secret rooms.

Kuroko shook his head at the thought and cupped his hands around his mouth, opting to go with the easiest way to find someone. "Hello?!" he shouted, pausing to hear if anyone replied. A few seconds later he was only met with silence and the phantom was starting feel irritation lace his thoughts, having grown tired of the deafening silence. Plus, this was the second time that he had been left behind in a place where everything was unfamiliar to him. _These werewolves are annoying. _Kuroko thought darkly and narrowed his eyes before cupping his hands again and taking a deep breath of air. "Excuse me?! Is anyone there?!"

"Ack! Sorry Tetsu!" Kuroko heard a voice yell from the other side of the room and he quickly looked to see Aomine appearing from behind a wall. The dark bluenette was jogging at leisurely pace and he quickly made his way over the smaller teen with a sheepish grin etched into his features. "Sorry," he repeated again though quieter this time, "I forgot you haven't been in here before. Everyone is on the other side." The werewolf said, pointing to where he had emerged from behind the wall. Kuroko frowned when he saw the gap between the two walls on the far side of the room, not having noticed it until now. _How could I have missed something like that?_ Kuroko felt himself sulk at the thought, mentally chastising himself for being so ignorant.

"Come on, everyone is waiting on you." The ganguro urged Kuroko forward with a wave of his hand, jogging back the way he came. Kuroko took one last look around the armory before following the dark bluenette through the gap in the walls.

The other side resembled the one before it in many ways, but the one thing that set it apart was the supplies gathered within. Unlike the previous room this one held lots of dummies and other practice materials. It was obvious to Kuroko that this was where they most likely came to practice their close-range combat and other forms of self-defense. Lots of the figures had stab wounds within them, some even missing a few limbs. Kuroko gulped as he stepped over a lacerated arm forgotten on the floor, trying not to think how it would feel to have his arm amputated from his body.

Along the walls were different forms of targets that ranged from showing the average, simple circle picture to a full image of a human body. Kuroko eyed the several knives and arrows that were pierced through the targets, each of them almost inhumanely accurate and some of the blades were buried all the way to the hilt, puncturing the wall behind the padding of the targets. Occasionally, the thought of how strong the werewolves were scared Kuroko, it just wasn't something he was used to seeing especially by someone who looked as normal as the werewolves did. It wasn't natural. _They _weren't natural.

Keeping up with Aomine, the phantom player looked ahead to see where they were going and blinked when he saw the rest of the werewolves gathered around two vehicles, each of them clad in the gear he saw in the armory. It was strange, seeing all of them dressed in identical outfits yet all of them had certain individual qualities that set them apart from one another. But despite that, they all wore the same jacket from before, the leather shining in the light and giving each of them an ethereal appearance. It would have made them all look extremely cool, that is, if their hair colors weren't every representation of the rainbow possible. Kuroko internally snorted at the thought, not having noticed that till now.

However all amusement went down the drain when the shadow saw Kise lift up a submachine gun over his shoulder, the gun's presence intimidating and contrasting greatly with the casual and carefree expression on the blonde's face. Kuroko's footsteps faltered when he suddenly took notice of all the dangerous weapons surrounding the five werewolves. All of them had quite a few different types of weapons on them, each one getting more frightening than the last and Kuroko felt beads of sweat starting to form over his brow. Now he knew what all those pockets were for.

Kise, besides the large gun strung over his shoulder, had two pistols strapped in hostlers around his thighs. It was in times like these when Kuroko wished he could distinguish what type a gun was just by looking at them, but nothing came to mind when he took in the three different weapons fastened on Kise's person. His blonde hair was covered by the thin hood attached to the jacket, making his golden strands stand out all the more beneath the dark contrast of the black material. Along with his unzipped jacket, his feet were clad in dark brown combat boots and if Kuroko looked closely enough, he could see the tip of a handle stashed inside of his shoe, most likely being a knife of some sort.

Next to the blonde, Midorima was leaning against the red vehicle with his own gun in his hands seeming to be looking over it. Now even though he was nowhere near being a gun expert, it would take a blind person to not see that the gun within the greenette's hands was a sniper rifle. But that was as far as Kuroko could go in identifying the gun. There was another small handgun plastered to the medic's left thigh and when Midorima moved Kuroko caught a slight shine along the inside of the werewolf's jacket. It took him a second to realize that the whole inside of the leather jacket was layered with throwing knives, occupying whatever space available inside. The stoic teen's green hair was pulled back messily by an orange bandana, a few strands escaping to touch the rims of a pair of safety combat glasses.

On the other side of the car, Murasakibara was rummaging through a bag of potato chips, the packaging creating a crinkling sound in the hands of the giant. His purple locks were pulled into a loose ponytail and the sleeves of his jacket were rolled all the way up to the elbows. The werewolf's expression was etched into one of aloofness, his amethyst eyes drooping in boredom. Secured tightly to one side of his hip, Kuroko noticed a long blade sheathed beneath the purplenette's jacket, another one attached to his thigh. The knives were long but not enough to be considered a sword and their shape was unfamiliar to Kuroko. The sound of the bag crumpling caused Kuroko's eyes to snap up to the lethargic teen's hands and the bluenette squinted curiously at the thick black gloves covering Murasakibara's hands. They were fingerless, and reached all the way to his elbows. Along his knuckles was a band of sharp metal, the silver reflecting in the light.

Aomine had the machete he used last time on his back, the blade secured tightly as to not fall. His sleeves were rolled up as well and the collar along his unzipped jacket was lifted slightly covering his neck. Along both hips were two smaller blades strapped into sheaths, the objects being slightly concealed by his jacket. Unlike everyone else who had either black or blue jeans, the dark bluenette was wearing a pair of cargo pants that had a sandy camo design on them, the loose clothing stuffed securely into his black combat boots. Dangling on a chain from a loop on the pants was a cylinder object, and Kuroko was a little proud to notice that he knew what it was. It was a flash grenade, and it made a jingling sound whenever Aomine took a step almost like a bell on an animal's collar.

When his eyes reached the last member of their pack, Kuroko studied the way Akashi's face was set in a scowl, his arms crossed over his chest. Unlike everyone else present the werewolf alpha only had one weapon on him—or at least one weapon that Kuroko could see. It was a tactical tantō knife similar to Kuroko's own. The blade was slightly longer than his and was strapped into a sheath along the redhead's thigh, the knife's black color blending into dark denim behind it. Besides the light brown combat boots adorning his feet, nothing else really seemed out of place on the heterochromatic-eyed teen, except for the two hair pins clipping the alpha's bangs to the side. It was strange to see the mismatched eyes clearly without the hindrance of the long strands of hair that always seemed to fall in his eyes. And that was why it made the phantom freeze in his steps when his cerulean orbs met the multicolored stones clearly.

Kuroko was sure that if looks could kill he would have been screaming in pain on the floor before experiencing a violent demise. Akashi's eyes felt like they were piercing through his very soul, the different colors reflecting several emotions within them. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the leader was _beyond _pissed. _Well, _Kuroko thought spitefully to himself, _at least we're on the same page. _Kuroko narrowed his own eyes in return, meeting the alpha's stare with a glare of his own. That seemed to set something off within the werewolf because he suddenly let out a growl and Kuroko felt a shift in the air before he found himself on his back, the heterochromatic-eyed alpha towering over him.

"Where were you?!" Akashi snarled while fisting his hands in his shirt. Kuroko felt the cloth around his neck tighten, slowly cutting off his air supply. He tried to squirm in attempt to get the werewolf off of him but Akashi had his legs straddling him, making it virtually impossible for the significantly much weaker human to move even the slightest inch. "We were waiting on you to arrive here so that we could leave." Akashi spat in his face, his sharp fangs coming too close for comfort. "And now, because your insignificant ass didn't get here at the appointed time, we missed our chance at finding out where Takumi's clan resides at!" Akashi was shaking in rage and Kuroko could feel the fury radiating off of him in waves.

Kuroko had never seen the alpha so angry before, it was absolutely terrifying. The phantom felt himself trying to press himself closer to the floor in effort to get away from the werewolf above him. It might have worked, if he wasn't already as physically close to the floor as one could possibly get before practically becoming it. Akashi's face was surprisingly set into a neutral expression, only a slight crease between his eyebrows as his eyes were narrowed at him, but his eyes were a completely different story altogether. The cut stones of gold and ruby were glinting with Hell itself, the orbs cold and full of uncontained wrath. Having the glare trained on him made the bluenette internally plead for the wolf to look at anywhere but him.

Akashi suddenly pulled Kuroko forward, their noses only inches apart as the werewolf's eyes narrowed further till they looked to be mere slits, the colors of his irises blazing beneath his lashes. "And," The heterochromatic-eyed wolf began, his voice a deep growl that almost hurt to hear, "you ignored my order, Tetsuya." Kuroko was roughly shoved back onto the floor, the cement digging harshly into his spine as the alpha tightened his hold on his collar even more, completely cutting his supply of oxygen off. "I should just kill you now and end whatever plan the vampires have." The furious redhead snapped his jaws together, his canines glaring intimidatingly, inches from his face. "Lord knows it will make everything much easier once you're gone."

Kuroko clutched frantically at Akashi's hands in his shirt, trying to pull the offending appendages away from his throat. But it was like trying to pull two steel bars molded together apart, it was physically impossible for the small bluenette to pry the fingers buried in his collar. He could feel his lungs starting to burn from their lack of oxygen and it didn't help that his heart was beating wildly against his ribcage. He instinctively gasped for precious air but he violently shook when all he was met with was his breath catching in his throat, the air unable to travel past the point where Akashi was choking him. He squeezed his eyes shut, mind racing with thoughts nearly too frantic to comprehend.

He couldn't—no . . . wouldn't allow this to happen. The alpha didn't have the right to kill him and Kuroko'd be damned if he were to lie down and take his death without a fight. But trying out every way possible to escape without success made Kuroko only sink deeper into the realization that there was no way he could win against the monstrosity that had him in its claws. The difference in strength was far too great and Kuroko found it to be a bit unfair that he was going to die at the hands of something with a higher advantage than him. The thought made him angry at his own weakness for the second time that day. Why was it that his lack of physical strength always got in the way? It made the phantom so furious that he was utterly useless when it came to situations like these.

Kuroko's vision began to blur in his peripherals, black dots spontaneously flashing across his sight. The shadow clenched his teeth together, and closed his eyes once again, beginning to feel dizzy from being deprived of oxygen. No, he wouldn't die here—not now. And especially not by the pompous alpha's hands. Kuroko's cerulean orbs snapped open to glare into Akashi's once again. _I won't let you! _Gathering all the strength he had left, Kuroko pushed with all his might towards the werewolf choking him, muscles straining under the strength of the other. It was now or never, he could already feel his heartbeat slowly dwindling down to abnormal speeds, the organ stalling from the lack of having no oxygenated blood to pump.

Something flickered in Akashi's eyes, the werewolf's face turning blank as if realizing something for the first time. He abruptly released his hold on him and Kuroko sucked in a huge amount of air, gasping desperately to fill his lungs back up with the oxygen. Akashi stared intently at him, studying Kuroko like he was a newly discovered species while the bluenette heaved on the floor, limbs limp from the overexertion and shortage of air. Akashi stood up, his eyes flicking up briefly before settling back on Kuroko's, the mismatched eyes filled with indifference once more.

"Let that be a warning, Tetsuya." The alpha tersely said, towering over the exhausted teen below him. "No one defies me. Next time I won't be as merciful." Stepping over him, Akashi walked back to the vehicle without another word.

Kuroko's head slumped to the floor in defeat, his eyes closing against his will. _Dully noted. _Perhaps, next time he should just do as commanded, disobeying the werewolf wasn't worth it. His plan of having the alpha realize he wasn't his mindless drone seriously backfired on him.

* * *

They had been in the car for the past thirty minutes now, the drive tedious and the bluenette was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open. After the long and exhausting day of practice Kuroko just wanted to go home and take a long hot shower before promptly passing out in his comfortable bed. Not to mention the exploit that had happened between him and Akashi. His adrenaline had been heightened too many times that day and fatigue was starting to catch up with him. He was sure he would have been out cold as soon as he sat down in the vehicle but what the werewolves told him before they had left was making his thoughts run with nervousness. It was impossible to sleep with the information of their new plan they had given him.

Since they had missed their chance at finding Takumi—whoever that was—the werewolves decided to go with another course of action in finding his whereabouts. This one was obviously less safe than the other one since it involved newborn vampires, fledglings as Midorima called them. They told him of the new vampires being turned at Deadman's Roost and how they planned to capture one and force it to tell them of its master's location. It explained why the place was circled several times on the map back at the armory, but it still didn't explain why the werewolves had to wait for him to proceed with their plans. Couldn't they had just left without him? Kuroko decided it wasn't worth the effort in trying to figure out the enigmatic werewolves.

So now, Kuroko found himself strapped inside one of vehicles practically suffocating with the amount of clothing he had on. Kise and Aomine had the bright idea that he should gear up like the rest of them. Kuroko had protested at the suggestion, not wanting to feel so constricted with all the materials. But then Murasakibara had added his opinion about how it could help to protect him and that's what ended the discussion. Hence Kuroko's now matching leather jacket that was surprisingly snug and a pair of brown combat boots that comfortably fit his feet. It was a little unexpected that they had clothes that fit him considering he was much smaller in stature than the rest of them—well . . . at least most of the clothes fit.

The shirt and jeans he was wearing were borrowed from Akashi seeing as he was the closest to him in height and Kuroko had the best chance of remotely fitting his clothes compared to the others. They weren't anything special, just a pair of black fitted jeans that had to be held by a belt and a loose white tank that probably would have fallen of his shoulders if he wasn't wearing the jacket. Accommodating the outfit he probably would have never been caught dead in out of his own free will, was his tantō knife strapped around his lower back, the blade completely hidden by the loose leather jacket. And to finish up the outfitted gear was a small Colt .45 plastered around his right thigh, the gun's weight foreign to him which made him anxiously aware of its presence.

Midorima had given it to him simply because he said it was for intimidation purposes only. He wouldn't actually have to use the gun. Of course, the emerald-eyed werewolf hadn't said it as kindly, most of the words being blatant insults against his intelligence over the knowledge of a use of a gun. Kuroko could only scowl internally when the greenette did that, not finding it in himself to tell the other off. He knew how to shoot a gun! Or at least, he thought he did since he had never actually done so before. It wasn't that difficult, right? Just point, pull the trigger, and let the machine do its thing; simple, easy, effective. He just internally hoped he wouldn't actually have to use the thing.

They arrived at the restricted part of the city sometime around ten, the sun completely gone past the horizon and the moon high in the sky, basking everything in a silvery glow. Aomine parked the jeep in front of the road blocks that represented the entrance to the abandoned train station, the boarded wood molded and looking ready to collapse in on itself. Everyone stepped out of the two vehicles, coming to stand together between the two, their eyes glancing in several directions to detect any signs of the enemy. Kuroko rubbed his hands together out of nervousness, his eyes flicking every which way. This was the first time since the vampire attack that he was within the general vicinity as the parasites. And the scariest part about it was the fact that he was fully aware of what was out there this time.

"You all know the drill. We'll meet back here in thirty minutes." Akashi said while pulling on a pair of black fingerless gloves. "If you happen to find a leech within that time restrain it and do not commence interrogation without me; I'm tired of coming to find a bloody stump in place of the vampire." Akashi gave Aomine a pointed look which made the werewolf grin apologetically and sheepishly rub the back of his head. Midorima gave an exasperated sigh at the dark bluenette's antics. "Alright, disperse."

As soon as the words left their redheaded leader's mouth the werewolves disappeared in a flash, almost disorienting the phantom from the rapid movement. Kuroko blinked when he suddenly found himself alone on the creepy street, not one soul in sight. _Well, now what? _He mused to himself, glancing around the abandoned buildings cautiously. Make that three times he had been left behind that day.

* * *

**If I missed any grammar mistakes please tell me and I'll fix it immediately. I hope this chapter wasn't too hard to follow along. I just wanted to keep the characters as realistic as possible and I'm pretty sure no sane human being would allow someone like Akashi to treat them that way. Thus, Kuroko's rebelliousness. Also, on a side note, I would like to announce that the pairings for this story will only be a platonic relationship between the GOM and Kuroko. I might concentrate on the friendships between some of them more than others, but overall I don't think this story will contain any serious romantic relations. Please don't stop reading because of this! I would feel terrible if everyone stopped because of it's lack of pairing. It just didn't fit into the plot, I'm really sorry. Please don't forget to review, your words are extremely encouraging! If you guys have any questions I'll try to answer them. **

**Until next time~ **


	9. Chapter 9: Fool Me Once, Shame on Me

**Hello my wonderful readers! Here is the next chapter, and as promised the action-y goodness contained within. I know it's shorter than my previous ones, but if I had continued on into the next scene then it would have been too long, even for my standards. Anyways that is all I have to say so, enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Fool Me Once, Shame on Me  
**

The streets were empty, debris littered the corners and broken buildings occupied everywhere he could see. The wind had begun to pick up, blowing harshly in his ears and biting sharply at his cheeks with its coldness. It spiraled around the abandoned city, picking up dust that layered the cement and crumbled rocks covering the ground, bringing it together to form a thick haze. The dirt was almost impossible to see through and Kuroko was having a hard time trying to see ten feet in front of him, the wind not helping when it viciously stung his eyes with an onslaught of sand and dust.

With the moon and any source of light being blocked by the dusty replication of fog, Kuroko was starting to grow tense from the lack of awareness. The shadows seemed to move out of the corners of his eyes, crawling and waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce on him and dig their talons into his flesh. Unfamiliar noises rang from deep within the alleys, their daunting sounds sending shivers down Kuroko's spine and making the bluenette travel in wide arcs around the gaping black holes in the buildings. Every step forward was slow and placed hesitantly in front of the other as the phantom cautiously made his way through the darkness. Overall, the place was extremely dark, too quiet, and unbelievably frightening; more so than when he last visited the station.

He had been walking for ten minutes already, wandering around the streets with an ominous feeling weighing on his shoulders. Not even a mere glimpse of one of the werewolves existed since they ran off when they first got here, the wolves practically disappearing altogether, leaving him alone. No signs of life were present on the abandoned streets, the area full of a foreboding stillness that only grew heavier the further he treaded into the fog. He guessed it should have been a good thing, since it meant that the vampires were also keeping their distance from him. Of course, it could also mean that they were keeping out of sight, waiting for the chance to finish what their previous clan members started.

A tremor ran through Kuroko at the appalling thought. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head roughly, ridding himself of all other thoughts. They weren't helping in the matter and he was growing sick of psyching himself out over the smallest of things. It would be best to not dread on the unknown and just push ahead with an empty mind, who knew what could happen if he was too distracted by his thoughts. Sucking in a breath to clear his mind, the small bluenette continued walking, his body tense and eyes rapidly glancing in every direction. Besides, his weak presence was definitely a plus for situations like these. It would make the hunt for him significantly much harder than usual for the vampires.

As he walked he suddenly came upon a large chunk of collapsed debris, the stone blocking his path. A frown twisted at his lips as the bluenette placed his hands on it, pulling himself up to bring a leg over and slide down the other side with a grunt. The rock left his hands dusty and a streak of dirt ran down the side of his pants where it touched the fallen debris. Kuroko sighed in slight irritation and patted his hands together, trying to get as much of the graying brown substance off before scrubbing his pants to do the same. Glancing around, Kuroko figured he was in some kind of building—or what used to be a building. The ceiling was caved in and lots of broken pieces littered the floor, heaps piled in the corners. A whole wall was torn down and several portions of the other walls were missing, which left the bluenette wondering how on earth the place was still standing.

Looking up Kuroko saw a few words plastered to the wall on the other side of the moderately sized room. They were covered in a thick layer of dust and half of the letters looked to be missing but the bluenette could tell what they read by the last word: station. This was the abandoned train station. Despite coming to Deadman's Roost before this was the first time he had actually gone inside of the building. If only the reason he was here now was for being dared by his friends back in middle school, and not because of the war between vampires and werewolves he seemed to have unwillingly fallen in the middle of. Kuroko gave one last look behind him, eyes searching cautiously for any movement, before stepping further into the station and disappearing into the shadows inside.

As he journeyed into the miraculously still standing building Kuroko abruptly stopped when his feet came to the ledge of a set of stairs, the steps descending into what was probably the rest of the station that went underground. He blinked down into the dark abyss, feeling a little uneased by the way it cascaded into complete darkness, the entrance being halfway submerged with broken portions of rock and brick. If vampires were to choose a place to hide, Kuroko was sure they would pick the creepiest and darkest place there was available; and those stairs certainly fit the description. As Kuroko continued to stare down into the darkness, the sides crawling with a few spiders, he had no doubt this would be the place filled with them.

Heading inside would definitely be suicide. The leeches would swarm him in a single breath the second he set his foot on the bottom stair, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. While it was true the werewolves had trained him to fight against the parasites, it wasn't for that long. So his knowledge in self-defense against the vampires was limited not to mention the fact that his physical prowess and reflexes were extremely pathetic compared to the bloodsuckers. Moreover, if it came to a battle then he wasn't certain if he could bring himself to kill the thing. The only way to kill a vampire is by decapitation. There is a possibility that you can kill it with an accurate stab to the heart, but even then it was better to light the parasite on fire to ensure it stayed down, just in case. Overall, if he were to actually fight one he wouldn't stand a chance.

It confused him as to why Akashi had brought him with them. It wasn't like he could do much in a fight, so the only other thing he could do was get in the way . . . unless they planned to use him as bait. The thought made the bluenette's eyebrow twitch in annoyance. The idea that he was being used left a bitter taste in Kuroko's mouth but it made sense that that was what they would use him for. He had offered his help to them and with his lack of field knowledge or anything related to the supernatural the only plausible way for him to help would be playing the bait. Something inside him hoped that wasn't true but he wouldn't put it past the werewolves to do something along those lines. He just wished his life wasn't the gambling chip inside the whole mess.

Sighing to himself Kuroko studied the cracked bricks that lined the walls of the staircase, their colors faded and filthy to the touch. Maybe he should wait until one of the werewolves showed up to head down into the underground part of the station. It would certainly be much safer than travelling alone, but there was a higher chance of their time running out before one of the wolves found him and then he wouldn't get to explore the underpass. As he was debating between his two options, the moon finally broke through the dusty fog and lit up the room from the skylight allowing the teen's cerulean orbs to catch a slight shine in the wind, the reflected light waving in front of the underground entrance.

Kuroko's brows furrowed as he cautiously reached a hand out to touch one, his fingers coming into contact with a sticky texture. "Spider webs?" he softly asked no one in particular. Why were they broken? A sudden realization came to the bluenette and he quickly leaned down to see if his assumption was right. With the moon's rays now letting the phantom see clearly it was easy to distinguish the slight track marks of shoes on the grimy stairs, their footprints fresh as they lead into the underpass. Someone had been here, and quite recently too. Was it one of the werewolves?

It was probable, the werewolves didn't seem to be the type to half-ass a job and not investigate every crevice available that a vampire could potentially be hiding in. So that meant that they were still down there since Kuroko didn't see any footsteps leading back up from the underpass. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to go inside and check as well? At least now he knew one of his werewolf allies resided below. Besides, meeting up with one of them would ensure his life was safe, or at least help to ease his nerves a little from being in the portentous train station alone. Making up his mind, the shadow slowly stepped onto the first stair, waiting tensely for anything to jump at him. After a few seconds of nothing happening Kuroko cautiously made his way down into what could possibly be the belly of the beast.

Half of him expected there to actually be vampires waiting at the bottom of the stairs, their eyes and fangs glinting vehemently in the darkness. He anticipated them to lunge at his throat the moment he stepped off the last stair, their clawed hands pulling him deeper into the black abyss. They would torture him baring wicked grins of twisted amusement and insult him when he cried for help, for his screams would be futile as they cascaded through the dark void, never to be heard by a soul. And just as he would begin to beg for his life, they would tortuously pierce their fangs into his flesh and feast on his crimson blood making him watch as they slowly sucked the very life from his body. But they wouldn't stop there, instead they would—

Kuroko violently shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut with a grimace marring his features. He really needed to stop doing that. Creating such situations like that without knowing if they were even possible was starting to throw his mind into a chaotic mess of frightening images and "what if's." It wasn't helping him in the slightest whenever he needed to be vigilant and aware of his surroundings. Losing himself to his gruesome scenarios would make him oblivious and distracted to everything around him, creating an opening in his guard and allowing a vampire to easily kill him. Being submerged in his thoughts at this time could seriously be the cause of his death, and he wasn't about to let one of those slimy leeches get the drop on him any time soon.

Unknowingly sliding his fingers to drift across his tantō blade strapped behind him, Kuroko slowly closed the gap between him and the bottom of the underpass. The faint light of the moon had long since disappeared back into the clutches of the shadows and Kuroko squinted his cerulean eyes to try and detect any signs of life within the dark station. Stepping off the last stair and onto solid ground the bluenette stiffened once again in caution as he waited for any sudden movements. Subconsciously holding his breath Kuroko travelled further into the dark underground cavern, his eyes straining to see anything in the darkness.

Without warning, Kuroko's foot abruptly snagged on something he couldn't see and with a small squeak of surprise the small teen found himself tumbling head over heels to the cold floor. The jagged rocks covering the ground bit into his palms, cutting the calloused flesh and dug into his knees where he landed. His momentum caused him to land heavily on his side, the breath being knocked harshly from his lungs. A grunt of pain left Kuroko's mouth as he lifted himself up into a sitting position, brushing his palms together in attempt to rid the skin of its filthy exterior. There was no doubt that the rocks had made him bleed a little from the fall, but it surprised him slightly to find that the jacket had actually protected him from most of the damage he could have attained—save for his palms and knees that is.

Pulling himself up to his feet, Kuroko brushed his jacket off only to hear a small clatter hit the ground next to him. His features acquired a hint of confusion at the sound and he squatted down to reach around blindly for what could have fallen. When his hands came into contact with a cylinder shape, the stoic phantom lifted it closely to his eyes so that he could see what it was. There was no mistaking what it was when his cerulean orbs fell upon the small, black object in his hands: a flashlight. Albeit it was small, the little flashlight lit up the whole area clearly when Kuroko turned it on and flashed the light around the shadowy room. Having everything illuminated brightly made it much easier for the lithe teen to observe his surroundings.

The werewolves must have put the object in his jacket before giving it to him. It was nice to know that the wolves had thought about his inability to see as well as them in the dark and gave him a flashlight to use. It was convenient and Kuroko mentally thanked them for their consideration as he filtered the ray of light around the abandoned underpass.

The underground section of the station was similar to its aboveground counterpart. Just like the building above, the area surrounding him was completely demolished. Debris consisting of slabs of broken concrete and boulders of fallen rocks layered the ground in piles, the forgotten wreckage coated in dust and cobwebs. Looking around, Kuroko saw lots of old construction equipment that was left behind from the workers, their bright colors now incrusted with a rusty overcoat leaving the tools defective. As he travelled further, past what was probably ticket booths and the bathrooms, Kuroko came upon the tunnels that would have ran all the way to the center of the city had there not been any casualties for the workers.

Both ways were also filled with the wreckage from the collapsed tunnels just like everywhere else. Nothing really stood out in the underpass to the bluenette and he hadn't spotted any signs for one of the werewolves to be there either. They probably went into the passages for the trains, taking the tunnels to lead them further into the underground station. Not finding it in himself to follow his werewolf ally Kuroko turned around to head back above ground. Nothing seemed out of place in the dreary underpass and no vampires had attacked him so he guessed the place could be considered "cleared." Besides, he was sure the time before they had to meet back up was running out anyways. It would be best to start heading over there so he wouldn't be late.

Just as he was about to head back up the stairs a small sound filled his ears. It wasn't loud, or even frightening, but with the silence having surrounded him for so long it was alarming to hear something, especially since he was supposed to be alone. Whipping around with his flashlight trained into the darkness, Kuroko quietly waited—for what, he didn't know, but he wouldn't let it catch him off guard if anything were to happen. Another noise rang in the hollow space, softer this time but Kuroko was ready for it. The noise sounded like sniffling and it came from behind one of the fallen stones near the back of the cavern, echoing in the filthy station underpass. Kuroko, with curiosity getting the best of him, gradually began to make his way closer towards the sound, his body stance rigid in case of any sudden danger.

Creeping around the corner carefully, the bluenette came face to face with something he hadn't expected in the least. A little girl, no older than he, was crouched in the nook between the rock and the wall. Her raven locks were dirty and strung in a tangled mess around her small body, the strands almost reaching the floor from where she sat. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her knees which were pulled closely to her torso, her face buried beneath the two. She was clothed in a filthy and torn dress, the material's colored no longer identifiable underneath all the dirt and grime. What skin that was bared from the flimsy clothing was covered in black soot, the substance smeared all over her once pale flesh that was now a contorted mixture of all the filth painting it. Her malnourished body was shaking as sobs wracked through her, the sounds being muffled from behind her knees.

Kuroko didn't know what to do. He stood frozen, a few feet away from the girl as she cried. He felt stuck with not knowing how to react to the situation, only staring blankly at the clearly homeless teenaged girl who looked about ready to drop dead. She's obviously been there for a while, her physical appearance told him that much but it didn't tell him whether or not he could trust her. She could very well be a vampire who was playing an act to get closer to him. Kuroko felt himself take a cautious step back from the girl, his eyes narrowing in distrust. But when the girl suddenly peeked out from beneath her arms Kuroko lost all trace of his suspicions when he took one look into her eyes.

They were like cut stones of the purest form of sapphire, their startling clear blue full of the rawest emotions one could ever hope to feel. They were beautiful and struck him deeply with their longing and sadness contained within. The tears filling the corners of her puffy eyes glistened in the light and Kuroko felt himself suck in a breath when she blinked up at him sorrowfully, the action making the water cascade down her stained cheeks in a stream. He didn't think twice as kneeled down next to her, his heart aching at the woeful sight.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, reaching a hand out to touch her shoulder. The girl flinched at the contact, her head rising from her arms to blink at him confusedly. Kuroko felt himself frown slightly as he observed her sunken cheeks and dark bags that laced her eyes. Since he could see her face clearly, he determined her age was around thirteen. "What's your name?" he asked again when she didn't respond to his first question.

The girl's sapphire orbs glanced down, avoiding his gaze. "Y-Yuki." She stuttered, her voice hoarse from crying. She rubbed a hand at her face, sniffling as she shuffled around, most likely being uncomfortable with his presence. "W-Who are y-you?" she questioned, her voice being broken by several hiccups that made her small body convulse violently. Before he could answer, Yuki's eyes landed on his handgun strapped to his thigh, the metal glinting in the reflected light. She abruptly shrieked and rapidly crawled away further into the corner, her hands rising up to cover her face. "You're o-one of them!" she cried in fright, her eyes swelling up in tears again.

_What? _Kuroko thought quizzically to himself. _One of them? _ A sudden realization dawned on him at her exclamation. _Could she mean one of the werewolves? _His eyes widened in disbelief. If she was afraid of him then did that mean that she was a . . . vampire? But how could she be, she didn't seem like the vampires Kuroko had faced before—not that he had met many but Yuki looked too innocent to be one of the bloodsucking parasites that had tried to kill him that one time.

"Please d-don't take me back to t-that man again! I don't l-like it there!" Yuki cried in despair, her expression full of tears as she let out a wail. Her words made the bluenette even more confused, though he didn't let it slip onto his face. She wasn't making any sense. Take her back to whom? "I p-promise I'll be good!" the girl continued, panic starting to form from his delayed answer and lack of expression. She fell on her knees before him, bowing low enough to touch the floor. "Please, mister police o-officer!"

It all snapped into place after that last sentence. She thought he was a police officer. He didn't know why she was reacting the way she was in his presence, maybe she had interacted with police officers before and they had made her do something she didn't like. It explained her pleas to him, but it confused him as to why she was down here in the first place. Was she hiding from someone? She mentioned a man; maybe she had run away from him and decided to hide out here. There were too many options that probably weren't even close to coming near the truth, but there was one thing he knew for certain. Judging by her reaction and appearance, he doubted that this was the first time something like this has happened with her, plus she had said the word "again" which helped his conjecture.

Kuroko stared down at the ravenette groveling at his feet, her whimpering being the only sounds present in the silence. He sighed and kneeled down next to her again, placing his hands on her shoulders so that he could pull her into a sitting position. The smaller teen tried to hold back a sob, making her frame shake as she kept her head down. Kuroko placed a finger beneath her chin and raised her face to look at him, her sapphire eyes hiding behind a curtain of ebony.

"Shh, I'm not going to do any of those things." Kuroko spoke softly as he tucked Yuki's black strands behind her ears so that he could see her puffy eyes clearly.

Yuki slowly pulled her gaze to meet his, her eyebrows slightly furrowing at his statement. "Y-You're not?" she hiccupped, her voice still suspicious but a faint hint of hope filtered through the question. Kuroko shook his head gently in answer, his own cerulean orbs meeting deep sapphire stones. The girl tilted her head in confusion, eyes searching for any trace of a lie in his gaze. "So, you're n-not a police officer either?"

"No." was all Kuroko said.

Yuki's eyes widened at his confession. "Then they aren't looking f-for me?" she whispered to herself, but Kuroko caught it in the silence around them.

"Why would the police be looking for you?" Kuroko bluntly asked his expression appearing extremely impassive when compared to Yuki's who had several emotions flashing across her dirtied features. The girl looked to be internally struggling with herself to find an answer, her eyes falling to the floor once again as she bit her lip in contemplation. "You can tell me, Yuki-chan." Kuroko ushered her gently, trying to get her to answer. "Your secret is safe with me." Kuroko spoke, dividing up the word _secret _into separate long syllables like he read once in a manga.

It must have been funny to see him say that with a straight face and an emotionless voice, because Yuki let out a burst of giggles from his attempt to seem friendly. Kuroko didn't know what was supposed to be so funny about it, but he let it slide when she smiled at him, her tears all but gone now from her eyes. Her smile didn't last though, as she pulled her lips down into a thin line and a gloomy expression coated her face.

"I ran away from home." Yuki said sadly, her gaze turning cloudy as she looked at something Kuroko couldn't see. "Ever since my mom died my dad has been coming home drunk. I was fine with it at first, since it was his way of coping with the pain of losing her, but lately he has . . ." a hiccup escape from her lips as she trailed off. Bringing a hand up to harshly rub at one of her eyes, Yuki sucked in a breath before continuing, "Lately he has been b-beating me." Kuroko felt his eyes narrow in distaste at the girl's story. How could a father do that to his child? The only thing that was left of his wife yet he beat and destroyed it.

"I've run away once before," Yuki explained, "but the police found me and took me back. I even told them about what my father had been doing but they ignored me." She buried her face in her hands while hunching her shoulders closer to herself. "I just don't know what to do anymore!" She cried hysterically, her voice muffled by her palms.

Kuroko stared as the girl cried to herself, slightly dazed by what she had told him. It was unforgivable for what the father had done to his child, and Kuroko only wished he could confront the man for his crimes. Seeing the girl this way left his heart a broken mess and he really wanted to find a way to help her, but what could he do? It wasn't like he had found her on a whim, he was there for a special reason and he was sure that the werewolves wouldn't want her to tag along.

Besides, even if they did then what? The only other thing he could do would be to bring her home to her house where she was getting beaten at. He very well couldn't take her to his house, that would cause too many problems and he might even be framed for kidnapping. There weren't many ways he could help her but he would figure them out along the way, all he needed to do now was get her out of the area. There were still vampires around after all.

"Would you like to come with me?" Kuroko asked her, startling the girl out of her sobs. "I know I can't do much to help you right now but I promise you that I'll get you away from your father." He looked into her eyes; Yuki's reflected blue widening in surprise at his words. "He deserves to pay for his actions, and I'll make sure he does. No one should go through the pain you're experiencing. You'll never have to see him again." Kuroko promised, his words steady and sure as he said them to the girl across from him.

"R-Really?" hope glimmered brightly in the girl's eyes, her face full of awe as she gaped at him. At Kuroko's nod she jumped up from her spot on the floor, her expression thrilled as she tackled him into a fierce hug. She released him as soon as she remembered they were still strangers and shyly grinned at him instead.

Kuroko gave a small smile in return before pointing towards the stairs that led outside. "We should hurry and leave, it's getting late." After seeing Yuki nod in agreement with him, they both started for the exit, Yuki's face bright with cheer.

"By the way mister, I didn't get your name." Yuki curiously asked with a tilt of her head as she stumbled over a few of the rocks.

Leading the way through the minefield of debris, Kuroko didn't hesitate to reply. "Kuroko Tetsuya." It was because Yuki was behind him that he didn't see her smile falter as she halted in her steps.

"Kuroko . . . Tetsuya?" Yuki repeated quietly.

Kuroko nodded his head in further answer, climbing over a rock that was blocking his path. When he made it over he turned around to help Yuki but froze in confusion when he was met with nothing behind him, Yuki's form having disappeared completely. "Yuki-chan?" he called out softly into the silence, his voice echoing in the tunnels. Where did she go? Kuroko's head jerked in every direction, his eyes frantically searching for the girl's tiny form but it was like she had vanished into thin air. A small part of his mind began clouding his thoughts with scenarios of how she managed to disappear, all of them leading to completely different circumstances but each containing the same factor, the vampires. He was about to pull out his weapon when he heard Yuki's childish voice from behind him.

"Who knew you were Kuroko Tetsuya all along?!" Yuki exclaimed making the bluenette snap his head around to look at her. The small girl was seated on one of the bigger rocks in the underpass, her spot blocking the only exit in the room. A smug grin was plastered to her face as she swung her legs around like a young child. "If I had known it was going to be this easy then I wouldn't have tried so hard to make up that act." She sighed with a small pout before her face brightened up again. "But it was so much _fun_ messing with you!" she giggled to herself.

Kuroko blinked in confusion at her puzzling words. What did she mean by . . ? Had she been lying to him this entire time? The whole story was just a ploy to mess with him? His eyes slightly widened at the incredulity of it all. Yuki—if that was even her real name—had been feeding him a sob story since the first second he had heard her crying. And he had bought it, completely lured into her trap none the wiser. But the real mind boggler was the question _why? _Why did she do that to him? What was the point or objective to get him to believe her? Why had she even lied in the first place? None of it made sense—that is . . . _Unless she is a vampire._ Kuroko viciously thought to himself with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, ho! Looks like the human figured it out!" Yuki said sarcastically from across the room, her hands clapping together in mock-felicitations. The sound reverberated in the underground cavern almost tauntingly, making Kuroko's eyes narrow further. "I would say congratulations but in all honesty," the vampire narrowed her own eyes in mirth, her head tilting sideways, "it is pretty pathetic that you didn't notice until now. What have those filthy mongrels been teaching you?" she tutted with a click of her tongue.

Kuroko remained silent, his gaze focused intensely on the leech before him, making sure not to miss a single movement from the underworlder. The vampire sighed as if his lack of response upset her. "And to think you were so nice until now. Humans really are disgusting things." She shook her head at her own words before hopping off of the rock, landing softly on the ground without a sound. "Well, no matter, it won't be long before your kind is exterminated of, like it should have been centuries ago. But before that can happen I need to bring you to my master like he requested." She suddenly clasped her hands together, bringing them up to her chest as a dreamy look flashed across her features. "Who knows what kinds of rewards I'll get for capturing you."

Capturing him? There it was again. What did he have that the vampires could possibly want? It didn't make any sense whatsoever and it confused him to the point where thinking about it physically hurt his head. The supernatural really liked to keep their secrets, but he was tired of playing all these guessing games with them. It was about time he started looking for the answers on his own, he was sick of standing on the sidelines waiting to find out. "Why do you want to capture me so badly?" he asked flatly, his voice betraying nothing of his thoughts. "I've lived a rather normal life, so why only now do you show an interest in me?"

Yuki lifted a finger to her chin, her eyes trailing up to gaze at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well . . . I can't say much, master would surely have my head if I were to give our plan away." She mumbled mostly to herself with a frown. She shook her head roughly before applying a twisted grin on her face saying, "But let's just say that you're a very special piece in the resurrection of some very important people. You should actually feel honored to have such a position of importance in this revival, you're the reason every supernatural creature will be able to have a brighter future." She blinked at him, her words full of such sincerity as if she believed the lies coming out of her mouth were true, but Kuroko knew otherwise.

He was getting sick of all these head games, why couldn't everyone just say things outright instead of warping them into some kind of twisted puzzle? Yuki's explanation—if he could call it that—didn't even come close to answering what he wanted and honestly left him even more perplexed than before. However, there was one thing amongst everything Yuki had said that really stood out to him: '_the resurrection of some very important people,' _as she had put it. What could she mean by that? Just who were these "important" people?

Kuroko watched as Yuki twisted her hair around her grubby fingers, the ebony strands caked in dirt. "Who are these 'people' you've mentioned?" Kuroko questioned nonchalantly, pretending to appear uninterested in the matter, it wouldn't be good to force the answer out of her. He was sure if he pressed too hard then it would be hopeless to try and pry the words from her mouth. Remaining casual could possibly be the best way to get her to speak carelessly. "Why are they so important for the future of the supernatural world?"

Yuki lifted a finger to hover over her lips. "It's a secret." Was all she said while giving a mischievous wink, dividing the word _secret _like he had done earlier to her. Kuroko felt his eyebrow internally twitch. "Now, I wish we could play some more Kuroko-kun but I'm afraid that we must bring this chat to an end. Wouldn't want to make the master wait now would we?" she giggled softly like it was an inside joke that only she got. "Please don't struggle or make any sounds. I would feel just terrible if I was forced to break your legs or do something even worse to make you comply." The malicious smirk and evil glint in her eyes told him she thought otherwise.

Kuroko felt himself moving, a reflexive response that had him pulling out his gun and aiming it at the threat before him. He knew it probably wouldn't help much, he didn't even know if the gun was loaded much less if he could manage to hit the leech. All he knew was that the presence of the gun made the vampire take a wary step back and let out a threatened hiss, her eyes narrowing in caution as she stared down the barrel aimed at her chest. Midorima's words rang through his head about the gun being for intimidation purposes only, believing that he wouldn't actually have to use the weapon. It certainly worked, if the vampire's sudden reluctance to rush him was anything to go by. But he wasn't too sure whether or not the werewolf's thoughts about him not using the colt would be true, especially with the way the vampire was starting to pace around him, snarls leaving her mouth.

She was obviously looking for an opening, trying to find an opportune moment for her to strike without possibly getting a hole blown through her for it. Kuroko's cold gaze followed her closely, making sure to move his body with her so that his gun was steadily fixed towards her torso. Nothing moved in the room. It was like the place itself was holding its breath at the confrontation before it, waiting until either one of them made the first move. Yuki stopped fast in her tracks, turning to face the bluenette fully with calculating eyes. Their gazes met, neither wavering as deep sapphire clashed with bright cerulean in a heated battle of silent threats. The few seconds that past by felt too slow for Kuroko, making it seem like hours had passed, and Kuroko felt a trickle of sweat begin to trail down his forehead.

The liquid made its way down almost lethargically, rolling over the crease of his eyebrow and teetering along the ridge of his eye. It wasn't long before the drop finally collapsed under its own weight from the gravity, releasing itself from his skin and falling hazardously into his eye. The bluenette blinked, his eye stinging from the salty sweat and that was when his gaze was met with an unsettling nothingness from where Yuki once stood. Kuroko jerked back, whipping his head around to search for the girl's small form frantically. But he was abruptly pushed forward when something not unlike a bulldozer rammed into his back, making him tumble hard to the cold floor with a grunt.

A vicious growl erupted from above him, Yuki's weight pushing on his shoulders as she towered over his back. Kuroko, having no time to collect his bearings, quickly relied on his instincts and roughly twisted around, his elbow swinging out to connect with the vampire's temple. Yuki's head rounded with the force, completely caught off guard at the unexpected retaliation, her long hair pouring around them in an array of dirtied black strings. The leech slowly turned her head back to face him, her eyes glinting murderously as she twisted her lips into a scowl and hissed. Kuroko wasted no time, swiftly bringing the hand gripping his gun and pointing it at the vampire's head, his finger already beginning to close on the trigger. Yuki didn't hesitate to lash her hand out and forcefully smack his colt out of his grasp, the weapon flying through the air and sliding a few yards away.

Kuroko's eyes widened as the girl's hands wrapped around his neck, trying to cut off his air supply so he would fall unconscious. The bluenette clutched at her wrists frantically, desperate to release the pressure from his throat as his lungs were already starting to burn harshly. Kuroko let out a choking sound, wheezing while attempting to force her off of his stomach by bucking his hips but it proved to be futile as Yuki clung to him like a lifeline. The ravenette's lips took on a sadistic grin as he struggled beneath her and Kuroko felt his head starting to pound, his vision swarming with black dots around the corners. He didn't have much longer before he passed out; he had to do _something _before he lost all forms of consciousness.

Taking one of his hands from Yuki's wrists and reaching out blindly across the ground, Kuroko's fingers came into contact with something hard. Grabbing it hastily, the phantom brought his arm up quickly to smash the object into the leech's head, the thing making a revolting _crack _sound as it met her skull. Yuki cried out in pain, her body plummeting sideways as she clutched at her now bleeding temple, the blood gushing through her fingers and forming a puddle beneath her. Kuroko released the rock in his hand and spun around to crawl in the general direction of—what he hoped—his gun was located at. His hands and knees harshly scraped against the ground, the rocks and cement digging into his skin and cutting the flesh open. He paid the pain no mind though, as he made his way through the debris and saw the small reflected light of his weapon.

Hearing Yuki growl in frustration, Kuroko continued with determined fervor as the sounds of her stumbling after him reached his ears. Practically crawling on his hands and feet now, the bluenette perilously tried to reach the gun before the vampire caught up him, bringing himself within a meter of the weapon before he felt something grab his foot. His leg was jerked back just as he got within reaching distance of the handgun, his fingertips brushing the handle just as Yuki pulled. Kuroko's face connected cruelly with the hard ground while his form was dragged roughly across the sharp rocks littering the station. Kuroko turned his body around to glare at the vampire who was clutching at his foot, her face horrific as she smiled even though blood streamed down her face in a constant flow.

The phantom gritted his teeth and reached out to grip a huge rock next to him, tethering his body which made the leech snarl in anger, but before Yuki could overpower him Kuroko brought up the leg not being strangled and kicked out towards the vampire's face. The blood must have obscured her vision because the vampire didn't react in time to dodge the well-aimed snap kick targeted at her nose. When the thick material of his combat boot met the cartilage of Yuki's nose, the air was filled with the sickening sound of her nose breaking, resulting in her agony filled howl as more blood began to rush down her face. Kuroko drew his leg back from her hands and swiftly continued in his journey to his weapon.

Yuki's heavy breathing was the only thing to be heard as Kuroko's hand finally came into contact with the sterling metal of the colt, but before he could feel relieved, the vampire's body rammed into his side and the weapon fell out of his hands once again. The two rolled around, trying to gain the upper hand on each other in a flurry of tangled limbs and grunts. Blood washed over the two from Yuki's wounds, the substance staining everything a bright crimson red and coating everything in a slippery mess, which physically made it impossible to grab at one another in their tussle. Seemingly having enough of the annoying way her hands slipped from Kuroko's flesh and leather jacket, Yuki roughly forced the bluenette to the side towards a fallen cement slab.

Not expecting her to push him away so suddenly, Kuroko's foot caught on a rock and he jerked forwards, his momentum carrying him towards the cement in front of him. He wasn't able to pull his arms up fast enough to protect himself and the rock cracked against the side of his face. Kuroko felt his brain collide with the front of his skull, making him lightheaded and dizzy for a few seconds as his body practically slid limply to the ground. A slow trickle of something ran down the side of his face and it took him a moment to realize that it was blood that was starting to stream down from his own temple. Kuroko lifted a hand up to tenderly touch the open wound, slashed from where he had hit his cranium, and brought his fingers in front of his eyes so he could peer at the deep crimson slathered on his fingertips. It was then that his eyes caught the gleam of his gun peaking between his fingers, only a foot away.

His arm zipped out to the gun faster than his ignite pass could ever hope to accomplish, and the bluenette wrapped his hand around the metal contraption earning an alarmed hiss from the vampire behind him. While bringing the weapon around to face the vampire, Kuroko's cerulean orbs widened as he was met with the sight of the leech lunging at him, her hands barely a yard away from his throat and closing fast as she let out a triumphant snarl. Kuroko reflexively brought up his hands to protect himself, his weapon aimed at the vampire's chest.

Time seemed to slow for the bluenette, his adrenaline allowing his mind to clearly see everything to the tiniest detail and his body able to feel everything around him. He noticed things he wasn't able to before the battle started, like the way Yuki's eyes held a glint that told him she thought she had already won the fight. How even though his heart was hammering against his ribs erratically, his mind and thoughts were calming and almost coherent now, allowing him to analyze the situation properly. Kuroko took in a small breath of air, the crisp oxygen filling lungs, and cocked the gun in his hands. His finger closed along the trigger, and giving a small pull, the device fired, filling the air with a resounding _bang! _that left his ears numb.

Yuki's body jerked backwards, her face frozen in shock as she wobbled on her feet. She blinked in confusion for a few seconds, almost bewildered and looking like she didn't know how to react to the situation as she brought a hand up to place it near her heart. A thin line of red formed at her lips before blood started to pour out of her mouth, dribbling down her chin and dripping into a pool at her feet between them. She staggered with a wet cough, dropping her head so Kuroko couldn't see her face while crimson began staining the front of her dress. Kuroko stood up slowly, his gun still pointed at the vampire securely as he watched her intently in case she decided to pounce on him once again.

The leech's choking noises that filled the air eventually turned into small chuckles, her shoulders heaving as a manic laugh escaped her lips, the sound like rusted pipes which painfully pierced through Kuroko's ears. An abrupt fit of coughing silenced the terrifying giggle though, and Yuki stood there as her body convulsed and a new wave of blood splattered across the floor. When the girl gathered her bearings she slightly lifted her head, just enough for Kuroko to see the shine of her eyes through the black curtain of hair framing her face. "You missed." Was all she said before ducking down to slam against his legs in a tackle.

The force propelled both of them over the rock behind Kuroko, and the phantom let out a pained choke when his back met the floor on the other side, the fall knocking the breath out of his lungs and making him loose his gun. Kuroko's eyes narrowed in frustration. Just how hard was it to _kill _one of these things?! He was sure his bullet hadn't missed its target; she was standing barely a foot away for God's sake! But as his eyes fell upon the hole injected into the girl's ribcage, he found it quite annoying that the bullet wound was indeed several inches away from where her heart would be. Even now the gun shot injury was starting heal up, the flesh surrounding it slowly molding the skin together. It was nowhere _near _being as close to a werewolf's healing abilities, but it had already stopped the bleeding which prevented it from becoming a fatal wound.

Yuki's expression was startling to say the least. Her face was completely painted in her blood, the deep color stark compared to her white canines that were glinting in the light as she held a deranged grin. Although she wasn't bleeding anymore, the cuts on her face had yet to mend together allowing him to see the muscle underneath and parts of bone that were sticking out, her nose was oddly bent to the side and crushed close to her face like a sick representation of a pig's nose, and her eyes were wide blue stones of uncontained insanity. Kuroko felt himself gulp at the grotesque image hovering above him, the vampire looking like a walking corpse. Yuki's breath came out in a struggle, her chest heaving hard as the air filtered through her lungs. Kuroko guessed it was because the bullet had flown through one of them, rupturing one of the organs and making it a challenge to breath.

"It's time to end this." The vampire wheezed out, her voice cracking at the strain to produce sound. The pain didn't seem to deter her in the slightest however, and she continued to wear a smug grin as she grabbed a rock next to them and raised it above her head. "Let's just hope that the first hit knocks you out Kuroko-kun." Yuki said almost sweetly as she gave him an eye smile. Kuroko couldn't choose whether the rock being raised above him or the expression lacing the vampire's face was more terrifying. If only he could reach his gun, or even reach down and pull his tantō out. But the gun was all but lost during the fall and too far from his reach, and the blade strapped to his back was inaccessible because of Yuki's weight pushing him into the ground, making it virtually impossible to pull the knife out even if he wanted to.

Kuroko could only raise his arms up out of reflex, covering his head to protect himself as Yuki's arm descended down towards him, the rock aimed for his temple. He had prepared himself for the burst of pain he would feel upon contact with the stone, but instead a loud sound rang inside his ears. There was only one, and Kuroko eyes caught the sight of Yuki between his arms, her head being whipped back by something he couldn't see. Her body fell backwards with the force, her spine bending unnaturally as she slumped to the ground in front of him, her arm falling to the ground with the rock tumbling out of her lax grasp. Kuroko sat up, perplexed at the sudden turn of events and turned his gaze to the vampire's form.

A lone bullet hole ran through the girl's forehead, the wound slowly starting to trickle with red blood. Her eyes were wide and glazed, the sapphire orbs lifeless as they stared into nothingness and her features were set into fear, like she had seen her death before the trigger had been pulled. The area around the back of her head was splattered with bits of brain matter, the substance having been forced out from the power of the bullet. It left the floor in a revolting mess of gore, the rocks and floor painted in a splash of the girl's remains, the wet substances reflecting in the light. Kuroko felt himself gag at the appalling sight, slapping a hand to his mouth to prevent himself from throwing up. He swiftly dragged himself away from the dead vampire, desperate to get away from the horrid sight but he couldn't get far when his back crashed against something behind him.

"Having fun?" an unamused and slightly condescending voice broke through the silence above him. Kuroko's head whipped back to peer at a pair of cold green eyes, the color reflecting in the flashlight's glare. Midorima's expression was neutral, save for the crease between his furrowed brows. His viridian orbs held something dark in them, the emotion raw and icy but before Kuroko could make out what it was Midorima turned so that his goggles caught the light and hid his eyes. The phantom remained silent, watching as the greenette shifted to return a small handgun to the holster on his thigh. "You know, most people would have called for help when in such uncompromising circumstances." The beta commented standoffishly.

Kuroko found the remark a little offensive. He should have _called _them for help? Werewolves, who should have heard the ruckus happening beneath the streets? Kuroko felt his lips twist into a scowl. "My apologies," the bluenette began with a heated glare, "but it must have slipped my mind." He clutched at a nearby boulder and hefted himself up on his feet, his head swimming from the sudden movement which caused him to lose his balance and fall. Even though Kuroko's words had been dripping with venom, the tall teen steadied him before he could tumble to the floor, Midorima's hand placed lightly on his shoulder. The kind action surprised him, catching him off guard since Midorima didn't seem to be the type to care about anything else other than himself. The hand on his shoulder was gone as soon as it came and Kuroko was left wondering if the act even happened.

The bespectacled teen shuffled around him, his footsteps leaving soft echoes through the station as he kneeled down next to the bloodied vampire. Kuroko inspected the way the werewolf's face scrunched up in distaste as he brought up two fingers to check the leech's neck for a pulse. It was quiet until the beta noticed the several lacerations littered over the vampire's body, and the residue mark of an unhealed bullet hole left in its chest. "What the hell happened here anyway?" he questioned with a glance over his shoulder at the smaller teen.

"Well . . ." Kuroko's eyes darted to the side, unsure as to where to start but decided that the beginning was the best place as it will ever be. So the phantom told the werewolf of how he had found the underground part of the station and journeyed inside because of his assumption that one of the other werewolves were in there. He tried hard to explain what had escalated after he met Yuki, struggling to find words since some parts of their discussion had disappeared from the bluenette's memory because of the events that quickly followed afterwards. He found himself faltering a bit as he described their battle, their horrifying fight of life or death flashing in his eyes and causing him to shudder every now and then. When he got to the part where Midorima showed up, the shadow's words slowly dissipated until silence once again took hold of their surroundings.

Midorima hadn't said one word throughout the story, his face kept in a emotionless expression and his eyes calculative as Kuroko tried his best to recall what had transpired. He still didn't say anything once he was done, and Kuroko found himself slightly fidgeting under the intense stare the other was giving him. The werewolf narrowed his eyes for a few seconds, his gaze piercing before he roughly shook his head and glanced down at the vampire he was still kneeling over saying, "So the vampire—whom you insist is named Yuki—toyed with you like a despicable child would a doll, relished in the game of destroying your mentality, then almost forced you into oblivion after having won the battle in your amateur street fight. Then she died after getting shot by me—is there anything I'm missing?" if Midorima's tone of voice wasn't patronizing then, then Kuroko didn't know what was.

With a small roll of his eyes, Kuroko made a huffing sound before replying with a "yes," though he internally thought that the werewolf could have gone without all the snide remarks about him_. _Midorima didn't look up as he began rummaging through his leather jacket, obviously searching for something. "There's just one thing I don't get." The werewolf beta said. "You said that Yuki kept talking about how she needed to take you to her master, but you haven't told me why. Did she say anything about their plans regarding you at all?"

Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed into a crease, his gaze trailing off to the ground as he tried to remember what their discussion before the battle had been about. He recalled that they had talked about something concerning their future schemes, but when he tried to discern what they had actually talked about his mind turned a blank. Their conversation was too short and fast for his adrenaline induced mind to remember anything of, especially when something as emotionally stemming as a fight happened right after. But there was something that his mind was able to pinpoint about their discussion, the thing that stood out to him before.

"Actually, I remember her saying something about these people." Kuroko spoke, his words slow and thought out as he tried to form a way to explain what he had heard. "She said that they were important, and that they . . . they needed me for something. I forget what it was but she said that I played a very important role for these people." The bluenette's lips formed a thin line as he mentally frowned at himself. There were too many holes in his explanation, leaving it a mess of nonsense. Why couldn't he remember what she said?!

Confusion snaked its way onto the usually stoic werewolf's face. "Important for something they need?" he mumbled more to himself than to Kuroko. "Why would they need you, perhaps for a blood-donor? But why_ only_ you, most anyone can be a suitable food source for those parasites." Kuroko observed the way Midorima's face changed with different amounts of confusion and frustration, obviously getting angry at his struggle for an answer. "None of this makes any sense." The teen shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Kuroko noticed that the other held a small flask in his hands, the metal gleaming from his flashlight's light. It was small and in a traditional rectangular shape, the color a dull grey. Kuroko wondered what it could be, since most containers like that held alcohol, but Midorima didn't give off the impression that he drank. His thoughts were quickly answered when the greenette twisted the cap and proceeded to drizzle the liquid inside over the lifeless underworlder, the substance soaking though her dress and into her dirty hair. This made the bluenette even more perplexed at what it was but that was when the smell hit his nose. An onslaught of heavy gasoline filled his senses and Kuroko choked back a cough as the repulsive smell invaded his nostrils.

"What are you doing?" Kuroko asked.

Midorima shifted his head to look at him, pausing so that he could twist the cap back on the container. "I'm going to burn the body." Was all he said while hiding the gasoline flask back into his jacket. Kuroko took a second to process that disturbing bit of information, freezing as he watched the beta pull out a packet of matches. "Vampires don't always die when shot in the head. Burning them ensures that they stay down for good." The werewolf pulled out a match and swiped it across the box, the stick bursting into a small flame of orange and yellow.

"Besides, it also destroys any evidence left behind." With that Midorima tossed the little stick onto the body, the vampire catching aflame immediately. They both stood there for a second, neither moving as their gazes studied the swell of flames, almost enraptured by their bright color in the dark underpass. Kuroko saw Midorima move out of the corner of his eye, the wolf coming to stand next to him.

"Here."

Kuroko's eyes shifted to look at Midorima, the greenette's face enveloped in hues of orange and yellow as he held out his lost flashlight and gun to him. Kuroko blinked in surprised, almost having forgotten about the two. He gave the werewolf an appreciative look and retrieved the flashlight first, shoving it back into one of the many pockets on his jacket. Then he took hold of the colt in Midorima's hands, the metal flashing in the fire's light as he brought it down into his holster. Once everything was secured Kuroko's cerulean orbs glanced up to see Midorima pointing a finger at his temple.

"When we get back to Akashi's remind me to look at that." Kuroko brought up a hand to touch gingerly at his injured head, having forgotten that he had even hit it in the fight. "It's not like I care or anything, but it's my job to make sure all of us are properly healed and healthy once we come back from these kinds of things." Midorima explained almost too quickly after saying the previous part. Kuroko twitched his lips into an amused smile at the beta's antics and replied with an "okay." Midorima seemed satisfied with his answer and turned around to lead them through the abandoned station.

Once they had made it up the stairs and out of the stuffy building, Kuroko was relieved to find that the city above had been cleared of its dusty imprisonment, the fog and dirt having disappeared from the air. It was much easier to see now that there was nothing to inconvenience their sight, and the bluenette could make out everything on the streets with little effort. The phantom stuck close to the werewolf beside him, still feeling a little anxious after being in the fight with the vampire as the two made their through the maze of abandoned streets. It was after a few minutes of walking that Kuroko was about to ask Midorima where the others were but before he could the werewolf stopped fast in his tracks, making the smaller teen crash hazardously into his back.

Kuroko stepped back from the beta, rubbing tenderly at his nose which had taken most of the impact when it collided with the other's gun strung around his back. The phantom player gave the sniper a small glare before stepping around the werewolf medic to see what had stopped him. His eyes blinked in curiosity as Murasakibara's amethyst orbs met his from across the street. The two waited patiently as the giant treaded lethargically across the road towards them, his hands shoved deep within his pockets as a small candy stick stuck out from the werewolf's lips.

"Murasakibara." Midorima acknowledged the other with a nod of his head.

"The others have successfully captured a fledgling." The purplenette explained as he strode up onto the sidewalk next to them. "They sent me to come and retrieve you."

"Alright," Midorima said, giving Kuroko a glance out of the corner of his eye, "where to?"

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**If I missed any grammar errors please tell me and I'll be sure to fix it immediately! Anyways, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed! All of you are amazing! Don't forget to review and tell me what you thought about this chapter! Your reviews are extremely encouraging and I absolutely love to read them! **

**Until next time~**


	10. Chapter 10: The Art of Quality

**Hello my wonderful readers! FrostlyToBe here with another chapter, and quite soon too compared to the previous updates if I do say so myself! Some questions will be answered here to those of you who might have been confused from the last chapter. You may have noticed I changed the rating finally. That is mostly because I'm not too sure if a teen rating will be appropriate anymore. Anyways, the werewolves are getting _that_ much closer to finding out what the vampires want with Kuroko! I won't keep you from the story any longer. Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 10: The Art of Quality **

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Midorima was having a hard time trying to concentrate. It should have worried him, never has he been so distracted before on a mission. He knew that one wrong move in a place like this could easily be the death of him, and not a pretty one at that. Of course, when has a death ever been "pretty?" The most he could expect out of his possible demise was a gaping hole in his person and a bloody pool to lie in. He internally wished that his time of death would never come to that but with his current lifestyle, it was hard to picture anything less than a gruesome end. The supernatural inhabitants of the world weren't ones for finesse anyways. But despite all the thoughts clouding his mind, the medic still believed that he could put in a little more effort to be aware of his surroundings and steel his guard.

It has only been a few minutes since their departure from the entrance of the abandoned city and the greenette has yet to catch the slightest glimpse of a fledgling. It was unusual; the newborns were usually volatile creatures. The smallest scent of a werewolf should have them lunging out of their hiding holes, their fangs bared and aimed for the kill. It was mostly instincts that drove the leeches to do this, the impulse encoded in their genes was too much to handle and withstand for their overwhelmed minds. It wasn't uncommon for some vampires to be turned and not have the capricious nature against their millennium old enemies. It just meant they had more control over themselves than the others. However, it unnerved Midorima to find that there wasn't one vampire in the area who contained the instinct.

There were few reasons as to how this circumstance was possible. One possibility was that the vampires they thought to be hidden in the abandoned city were actually not even present at all, the parasites already having deserted the zone before they got there. It was plausible, but only to a certain degree. It didn't explain the fact that the place still reeked of their pungent smell, the scent sickening to the werewolf's senses. It was too fresh to be considered anything more than an hour old, so the fledglings were definitely concealed somewhere in the dark metropolis. If only there weren't so many different smells bombarding his nose all at once, maybe then he would have an easier time picking one out from the rest.

He could only figure out one other reason that could fit the situation, and it wasn't one that Midorima was too fond of. The best possible scenario to the vampires' strange behavior was the prospect that someone was training them, teaching them how to resist their urges on confronting werewolf threats. The idea didn't sit well with the viridian-eyed wolf. If someone was indeed showing the newborns how to control themselves then that could mean that they could also be teaching them how to fight. Fledgling vampires weren't very powerful to begin with, but adding on the perk that they could defend themselves would make the newborns especially troublesome. The thought that someone was training the parasites made a portentous feeling sink to the bottom of his stomach.

The notion that someone was teaching a few dozen newborns how to fight only made sense for one thing: war. Takumi Kenshin, the head vampire to the Nisshoku Clan, was preparing for battle and Midorima could only guess as to what it could be about. But before he could continue thinking more on the subject a shuffle to his right caught the bespectacled teen's attention. Muscles quickly flexing into a defensive stance out of memory and reflex, Midorima's eyes narrowed in the direction of the sound. His body tensed, prepared to spring but his nose caught the scent of someone familiar as the wind blew in his direction and Midorima felt himself relax.

"It seems that I am not the only one who has failed to find a fledgling." A voice commented through the fog, their tone light despite their words.

Midorima tampered with his goggles, fixing them to sit more comfortably on the bridge of his nose before replying, "Someone appears to want these newborns to be kept alive. Their hesitance to confront us is troubling."

Midorima listened as footsteps continued to get closer, the silhouette in the dusty air eventually forming the shape of his pack member. "Ah, looks like you noticed too." They said just as the medic's viridian colored eyes met mismatched ones of red and gold. Midorima watched as his alpha came to stand next to him, the heterochromatic-eyed wolf reserved despite their surroundings. "It's puzzling that Kenshin has begun this outbreak of new vampires, but the hidden motive for it isn't hard to decipher." Akashi's stare leveled with his and Midorima found himself glancing away out of instinct and respect for the werewolf alpha.

"It's for war. Takumi has begun to execute a plan for conflict, most probably against us." Midorima answered the shorter teen, crossing his arms in distaste at the idea of the vampire enemy's conspiracy.

"Yes," Akashi agreed, folding his arms as well while leaning back on a building behind him, "but a war for what?" he asked, closing his eyes with a small sigh. Midorima found he couldn't answer that question, at least, not yet anyway. Hopefully, they can stop the parasites before their plan ever unfolds itself. Midorima scowled at himself, there was no point in wishing because they would definitely put a stop to the bloodsuckers no matter what. Anything those leeches planned was bound to be horrible.

"Is there something you need, Akashi?" Midorima questioned out of pure curiosity, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. The said alpha opened an eye to peek at him, raising an eyebrow in questioning. "It isn't like you to have small chats during a mission. There must have been something more you wanted to ask besides the suspicious activity of the vampires." The greenette quickly explained, tilting his head to the side as he studied the way Akashi smiled at him.

The redheaded alpha chuckled at his reasoning, closing his eyes again as he rested his head on the broken concrete behind him. If it had been anyone else besides Akashi, Midorima would have been reprimanding them for being so careless in the middle of a fledgling nest. It wasn't safe to be so relaxed and uncaring while vampires were prowling the area and could easily catch you off guard unaware. But this was Akashi he was thinking about, and Akashi was certainly their leader for a reason and could no doubt take care of himself. That, and the leader obviously felt safe enough to let down his guard around Midorima, believing the werewolf medic could fend for the both of them if need be. The beta always felt somewhat flattered that the alpha held that much trust in him.

"You know me too well, Shintarō." Akashi spoke with a curve of a soft smile on his lips. "I need you to do something for me," he said while pushing off from the wall. "Even though his training has been progressing well enough, Kuroko Tetsuya still doesn't contain the ability to hold his own in a fight against a vampire. I was originally planning on using him as bait for this mission but . . ." the redhead paused in his explanation, a faint frown marring his features, "something changed my mind." He roughly shook his head before continuing. "Anyways, since we can't rely on Tetsuya's skills alone to protect himself I want you to shadow him and make sure he stays safe and out of trouble."

Midorima's eyebrows scrunched together at Akashi's words. "Shadow him?" the tall werewolf asked himself in confusion after Akashi looked expectantly towards him. "But, why me?" he knew he was treading on dangerous waters as soon as the words left his mouth, but Midorima found that he couldn't stop them from rolling off his tongue. Akashi's dislike towards the small bluenette had never been a secret amongst the pack members, he was sure even Kuroko himself knew that the alpha held an unhealthy animosity towards him than what was necessary. Midorima believed Akashi's low treatment to the high schooler was because the teen had unwillingly imposed on their lives, causing everything in the pack to become a jumbled mess.

Suddenly having a human come crashing into their lives certainly was a new experience. The medic knew that Akashi had a hard time accepting new people, it was almost impossible for the redhead to build even a small tolerance for most things that weren't of their pack. However, despite Akashi's ill attitude as of lately, something inside of the werewolf told him that things were going to start changing soon among the werewolf pack. It was just a matter of whether that was a good thing or not.

"I trust you the most out of the others to handle this task fluently." Akashi either dismissed Midorima's question or didn't care for the other's inquiry, simply continuing on as if he hadn't said anything. "We still don't know what those parasites want with him, and Tetsuya's life is the only way to find out. Make sure to it that his life is kept safe on your brief mission." Midorima gave a "yes sir" and Akashi nodded at him, uncrossing his arms as he gave a look around the street. "Also, keep an eye out. The vampires might not be opting to attack us at this moment, but I have a bad feeling that something more is going on here."

Midorima gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgment, replying with an, "Alright." Akashi was gone in a blink of an eye as soon as the word left his lips. Midorima sighed to himself, finding it odd that the heterochromatic-eyed alpha would have a sudden change in attitude towards the little human that had been tagging along with them recently. Akashi almost seemed . . . worried for Kuroko. Midorima shook his head at the thought. No—he must have read the alpha wrong, but there was definitely something upsetting Akashi's thoughts. Deciding to worry about the alpha later, Midorima turned on his heels to begin searching for the small phantom instead.

Speaking of Kuroko, the bluenette was certainly a mystery. Ever since he had joined them the day Kise and Aomine brought him home, there has been something stirring beneath the werewolves' morals. It was miniscule at first, barely noticeable to all of them as it slowly began to form from a small change. Maybe it was because it seemed so irrelevant at the time that Midorima had easily overlooked it, bypassing it as a mere bump in their already hole-infested road. But now that he thought about it, there was no doubt something was altering the werewolves. Perhaps it was just the sudden shift they had to incorporate into their lives, that "shift" being Kuroko. Midorima wouldn't lie, it has been especially hard to deal with the human teenager over the past several weeks.

He wasn't saying that Kuroko was a problem-child or anything, he was actually fairly polite and was tolerable to be around. Hell, Midorima would even say that he preferred Kuroko's presence over most of his pack; although it wasn't hard to imagine, since he had Kise and Aomine to compare the phantom to. It's just, with them having been in a feud with the vampires for so long it was hard to concentrate on something that wasn't battle related. And teaching the human about their ways was definitely difficult. It wasn't by any means Kuroko's fault; the kid was all too eager to learn about the supernatural and gave his full attention when he could. It just wasn't something Midorima was used to. They had been keeping their identities hidden from the human population all his life, suddenly giving away the precious information to a random human they barely knew made it hard for him to sleep at night.

He had questioned Akashi's motive when they had first began teaching Kuroko of the supernatural realm. Why would they willingly give someone the power that could destroy them all? The thought that Kuroko could eventually attain the ability to end their existence was frightening. He had voiced his reluctance to his alpha but Akashi didn't seem too concerned over the matter. Midorima knew the redhead may have had some sort of hidden intention for their collaboration with a human of all things, so he left the topic alone, though thoughts still plagued his mind over it. The weeks that passed were filled with them teaching Kuroko, preparing him. For what, Midorima didn't know. How was a mere _human _supposed to help them against the vampires anyway? Midorima didn't trust him.

He'll admit he probably wasn't the nicest people at the time when his suspicions ran wild around the bluenette. It was hard trying to imagine the teen being anything other than a spy for the bloodsucking leeches. But as the time spent with him passed, Midorima was able to get a better grasp over Kuroko's personality. The phantom truly seemed like he wanted to help them, and the greenette could never detect a lie from Kuroko, and he has yet to see any ill intention come from him either. Kuroko was almost too pure to be in their world, the bluenette always completely honest and like a child when he was given something knew. It almost hurt the werewolf to think that the pale bluenette had been thrust into their blood stained life without a choice. He internally wished this life wasn't forced upon Kuroko, but Midorima knew it was too late for Kuroko to return back from where he came.

Now, after so many weeks of spending time together, Midorima could honestly say that Kuroko had grown on him albeit he still didn't trust him completely—though he didn't think he would ever be able to trust someone not of their pack entirely. He's accepted the fact that the little teen would now be a part of their lives, whether he liked it or not. So, being mature about the situation, Midorima had decided to at least try and get along with the high schooler, it would be better to make the best out of the situation as he knew Kuroko probably wasn't going anywhere any time soon since he's come to learn a lot about their secrets. Besides, he's found that it was getting easier to accommodate the bluenette in their lives, the little phantom's presence having become something they were accustomed to. However reluctant they may be, Kuroko Tetsuya was slowly becoming a part of their pack.

Midorima faltered in his steps, the thought making something lurch inside of him as his eyes widened. How was it that a mere human had the capabilities to receive the acceptance of a closely knitted werewolf pack? And if Akashi's previous words and consideration were anything to go by, then even he was starting to see the small bluenette as one of their own. The cognition that Kuroko—who was practically a stranger to them all—was being accepted so soon was baffling to say the least. What was it that made the teen so special? Midorima sighed as he felt the beginnings of a headache start to form around his temples, the slight pounding sending spikes of pain through his head. It was all too much, even for him. Bringing a hand up to rub at his forehead listlessly, Midorima decided to concentrate solely on finding Kuroko and save himself from making his headache any worse.

Lifted his head up, Midorima gave the air a tentative sniff only to slightly gag at the repulsive stench that wafted up his nasal cavities. It would be futile to search for Kuroko by scent alone. There were too many pungent stenches that reeked of the leeches in the area, making it virtually impossible for the werewolf to sniff him out from this distance. Besides, even if he tried he would only get an even worse headache from the onslaught of the sickly sweet vampire scents. The greenette narrowed his eyes in annoyance, letting out a huff of air as he turned around to head back to their starting point at the entrance. It would appear that following Kuroko from his tracks would be the best possible way of finding him, that and the fact that his scent would have left a trail, allowing the werewolf-beta easy access to finding his whereabouts without having to suffer from the parasites' stench.

Once he made it back, Midorima's viridian orbs studied the ground around the vehicles, easily picking out Kuroko's smaller trail of footprints on the dusty concrete. Taking off at a light sprint, the medic quickly journeyed through the winding streets at a speed most humans could only hope to ever accomplish on foot. His nose twitched when he caught the bluenette's faint scent of vanilla, the clear smell a relief to the werewolf who had been relentlessly bombarded with the leeches' reek. Rounding a street corner Midorima came to an abrupt stop when he was met with nothing, Kuroko's scent and footprints both having disappeared completely.

Confusion making his brows furrow, the beta glanced around his surroundings. What was this? Why did Kuroko's trail stop so suddenly without a hint to where it had gone? There was no possible way that the human could have disappeared like that. Midorima knelt down next to the last portion of a footprint, the mark broken hallway as it met a part of clean concrete. It looked undisturbed, so a fight hadn't broken out and Midorima couldn't see any other footprints in the area. Kuroko's scent had also mysteriously dissipated into nothing, the only thing left in the air being that sickening odor of vampires. A frown marred the greenette's pale features as he breathed in the night air, noticing a change in the potency of the reek in the wind. Leaning down so that his nose came within a few inches of the ground; Midorima closed his eyes as he gave a deep inhale of air.

His eyes snapped open as a low growl escaped his mouth, his lips twisting into a snarl. Those damn leeches had been here! Their stench still clung to the street, fresh compared to the rest of the scents that wafted through the air. They had gone through this way, most likely following the little phantom as he traveled along none the wiser, covering his tracks and masking his scent with their own. Midorima lurched onto his feet. They had been here no more than five minutes ago, he could still catch up with Kuroko if he hurried.

The only downside to this situation was he had no idea where he could be, and if he took a wrong turn that could mean life or death for the little phantom. Shaking his head to get rid of the paranoia lacing his thoughts, the beta studied the way the footstep faced in a certain direction. Opting to take a chance and trust his instincts, the werewolf took off at a jog down the street, hoping that Kuroko didn't get any sudden ideas to go snooping into ominous places.

Five minutes had already passed and Midorima was starting to get worried, the feeling latching its claws around his heart and squeezing relentlessly as it forced fear into his thoughts. He had gone down several different streets and alleys, sometimes even bypassing the same ones again and again as he grew agitated from the lack of hints to give him even the smallest idea on where Kuroko could be. Stopping next to a street sign, the werewolf contemplated whether or not he should try and contact the rest of the pack and tell them of his situation. It would certainly be the best thing to do considering Kuroko's life was very well on the line in this predicament. Reaching into his jacket to pull out his cellphone, Midorima swiped the screen to call Akashi when a gunshot rung through the air.

The greenette stilled for a second, his ears zeroing in on the direction from which it came from. It wasn't very loud; the shot sounded like it was muffled, almost as if it were inside a building or underground. If he had been any farther away he was sure he would have missed it. Midorima's brows creased together. There were only three people in the pack who had guns, excluding him that left Kise and . . . _Kuroko!_ Midorima thought with a jolt as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and sprinted in the general direction of the gunfire.

Midorima hoped that it was Kuroko who shot the gun, at least this way he could find out where the little phantom had wondered. But something inside him secretly wished that it wasn't, the only reason for Kuroko to have pulled the trigger on the weapon would be to protect himself. And that meant it was only a matter of time for Midorima to reach him before something drastic happened.

Pushing his legs to go faster, Midorima swerved around a corner and came to a halt at the building in front of him—or at least what was left of it. The place looked like a catastrophe waiting to happen with its missing walls and cracks throughout the brick. Sounds of a fight filtered through the air into the werewolf's ears and Midorima caught Kuroko's choke of pain that came from deep within the station. Pulling his SIG P320 out of its holster on his thigh, Midorima automatically cocked the gun out of habit while he rushed into the building without a second thought.

After he found the stairs and made it to the bottom, the greenette's cut stones of viridian met the disturbing sight of a bloodied vampire raising a rock above her head fixing to strike it upon the helpless bluenette beneath her. Midorima's reaction was instantaneous, having aimed the weapon at the leech's head the moment his eyes came into contact with the scene. _Die._

The vampire's sapphire orbs snapped up to meet his own, as if she heard his thought. And in the brief second before he fired, her eyes clouded in fear as his fingers tightened around the trigger to release a loud _bang _into the air. A strong sense of satisfaction traveled through the werewolf as the lone bullet split through the underworlder's flesh with deadly accuracy. The power behind the metal's force pushed the parasite backwards onto the ground, decorating the cement around her with pieces of her brain and chunks of flesh. Relaxing his tight grip on the handle of the gun, the werewolf felt a sigh of relief escape his lips. _That was too close for comfort. _He mused to himself while making his way through the minefield of broken debris to the shaking bluenette on the floor, the hammering of his heart in his chest beginning to slow as the relief of the situation began to sink in.

Kuroko was milliseconds from becoming a human juice-box for the vampire, and Midorima internally chastised himself for being so late upon arriving at the scene. If he had appeared even a fraction of a second later than what he had than he probably would have entered the underpass to see the floor painted with the little phantom's blood, the life having already left Kuroko's cerulean orbs. Midorima shuddered at the thought. He needed to start training more often, accidents like this couldn't happen again—at least, not without casualties. And Kuroko's life was definitely not something that could be the gambling chip for such circumstances, the pack would have his head and Midorima was sure that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he allowed something as dire as that to happen to the innocent bluenette.

The smaller teen looked absolutely exhausted, his body being raked with small tremors as his chest heaved to steady his erratic heart. A pang of worry struck the greenette's usual stoic thoughts, and the bespectacled male watched as Kuroko stared wide-eyed at the gory death before him. The medic inside of the werewolf immediately began assessing just how injured the human was in front of him, taking notice of the blood that was lightly trickling from a wound hidden behind pale locks of blue, the liquid leaving a trail of crimson on the side of his face and dripping from his jaw to stain the front of his white T-shirt. As his eyes traveled over the other's frail form, Midorima deduced that besides the head injury, the only other wounds present on his form were scrapes and bruising on his knees and palms. The little phantom appeared to be completely fine—if only battered up a bit.

Another breath of air left the werewolf's lips as his thoughts were filled with solace at the other having no critical wounds. The head injury might be a lead to a slight concussion, which worried Midorima, but when the medic caught the way Kuroko's pupils dilated and reacted normally to the glare of the flashlight he figured the phantom would be all right. Eyes trailing back to the vampire again, Midorima felt impressed that the human could have lasted so long against one of their life-long enemies and live to tell the tale.

Most humans were utterly helpless when they tried to defend themselves against a vampire. Of course, most of them didn't expect the vampire to be a leech in the first place and thus weren't prepared to fight for their lives. Kuroko had at least been given a heads up and a month's time of training on how to stand his ground when opposed to one. But, no matter the circumstances, it was still quite a feat to accomplish for a human.

His ears picked up the sound of disgust leaving the little phantom as Kuroko swiftly scooted himself away from the mess of gore in front of him. Since Midorima had stopped to stand directly behind the bluenette, Kuroko's back roughly came into contact with the werewolf's shins, halting the teen from dragging himself any further from the gruesome sight before him. Despite the werewolf's newfound respect for the little phantom, Midorima felt something slip past his lips, the words taking the form of an insult more out of habit than intention.

"Having fun?" as soon as his words hit his own ears, the werewolf internally winced. He hadn't meant for it to sound so patronizing, the words not having registered in his thoughts before leaving his mouth. He watched as Kuroko's head snapped back, cerulean-blue orbs meeting cut stones of viridian as the two stared at each other. Tilting his head at the way Kuroko's eyes flared in anger, Midorima felt his lips give a twitch to form a discreet smirk. Even after all the little phantom has been through he still had a fighting spirit contained within that frail body. Midorima silently praised the smaller teen.

"You know, most people would have called for help when in such uncompromising circumstances." Midorima mentally kicked himself at his comment. He tried to sound like he was joking to ease the atmosphere of its tense qualities, but he utterly failed and only managed to sound like a condescending asshole. _Nice going. _He scolded himself.

Kuroko scoffed at him, obviously taking the horrible attempt at humor the wrong way. And Midorima didn't blame him; he probably would have socked the person if they said something like that to him directly after having fought for his life.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko's soft voice filtered through the silent air, his tone irked, "but it must have slipped my mind." Midorima didn't react to his sarcasm, knowing that the cause for its bite was because of a misunderstanding. He watched as the phantom attempted to haul himself up to his feet, clutching at a boulder to lift himself. The action proved to be too much for the injured human, and Kuroko wobbled on his feet dangerously before toppling head over heels to the floor. Midorima's reflexes easily allowed for the werewolf to grab hold of the smaller teen's shoulder and steady him before he tumbled over and fell into an undignified mess. When Midorima realized just what he had done he retracted his hand like lightning had struck him, surprised that he had even helped Kuroko. _The dust in the air must be getting to my head. _He thought while shifting around the other to kneel next to the lifeless leech on the ground.

He lifted his hand to press two fingers to her neck, checking to make sure the vampire wasn't just playing dead. After a few seconds of receiving nothing, Midorima's viridian colored orbs trailed down her body to take in the several wounds inflicted on it. One of his eyebrows rose when his eyes caught the remains of a half-healed bullet hole in the vampire's chest, the wound's blood having soaked the whole front of her ripped dress in a river of bright red. The bullet ran through her ribs, planted a few inches below her heart. "What the hell happened here anyway?" He asked tersely, giving a glance over his shoulder to peer at Kuroko.

Kuroko gave a small jump, the action most likely would have gone unnoticed by most people but Midorima's skilled eyes detected the way Kuroko's shoulders slightly tensed in surprise. "Well . . ." the little phantom appeared to struggle on where to start, his eyes darting away to stare at the floor in thought.

Midorima knew that all lot had happened to Kuroko in such a short amount of time, and ushering him to hurry wouldn't be the best course of action to take. Being patient was vital to someone who was still trying to process the battle they had gone through, especially if it was their first one. And so, that was what Midorima did, waiting silently without interrupting the bluenette as he told of his run-in with the leech. The werewolf caught the ways Kuroko seemed to falter in his words, his face lightly scrunching up in confusion as he attempted to recall the recent events. Kuroko finally came to an end when the story reached the point that Midorima had stepped in, his words melting into silence once again. Midorima's eyes narrowed at the uncomfortable look Kuroko was displaying, the phantom having grown unsettled from retelling his fight for life or death against the vampire.

It must have been hard for the human to stare death in the face like that. Midorima could only imagine what it would feel like to be plucked from your sheltered life, experiencing everyday life as a normal high school student without a care in the world, then one day, getting thrown into a strange world completely unprepared, trying to make sense of it but only succeeding in tumbling over your own feet like a newborn child. Midorima felt a stab of pity for Kuroko's predicament. The greenette had been born into this world, not knowing any different. The werewolf couldn't really relate to how Kuroko must be feeling but he knew that if he actually began pitying the human out of all things, then it would do more harm than good. If there was one thing Midorima has come to learn about the mysterious bluenette, it was the fact that he hated to be pitied.

"So the vampire—whom you insist is named Yuki—toyed with you like a despicable child would a doll, relished in the game of destroying your mentality, then almost forced you into oblivion after having won the battle in your amateur street fight. Then she died after getting shot by me—is there anything I'm missing?" Midorima spoke, maybe a little too indifferently to be considered anything but haughty. _Well, it's better than babying him._ The werewolf thought, not being one to sugarcoat things._ Besides, there are worse things out there that he'll have to deal with._ The viridian-eyed werewolf caught the way Kuroko's eyes seemed to roll in irritation, a huff of air leaving his as he replied with a "yes."

Midorima cocked an eyebrow at that but didn't comment, opting instead to rummage through his jacket in search for his flask of gasoline. "There's just one thing I don't get." The beta began. "You said that Yuki kept talking about how she needed to take you to her master, but you haven't told me why. Did she say anything about their plans regarding you at all?" Midorima asked, pausing to look at the little phantom in the eye, gauging for any certain reactions. Kuroko physically struggled trying to remember what Yuki had said during their conversation, his eyebrows creasing together to form a line.

"Actually, I remember her saying something about these people." Kuroko started, his voice slow while he thought about what had transpired. "She said that they were important, and that they . . . they needed me for something. I forget what it was but she said that I played a very important role for these people."

Midorima's mind flashed with several scenarios. He felt himself mumbling something out of habit but he didn't try to hear what he was saying, his thoughts too occupied with the confusing news Kuroko had given him. The vampires specifically wanted Kuroko, _just _Kuroko. For what, he didn't know, but something in the back of his mind pushed an idea to the surface. _These 'people' . . . _he wondered, thoughts carefully forming themselves into something he didn't want to acknowledge, but despite his reluctance they plowed forward ruthlessly. _Could he mean them?_ Midorima thought with confusion. But how could he? They were supposed to be locked up for eternity, practically dead to the world and to never be brought to the surface. The time of the immortals was forever a lost memory, forgotten over time as life continued. Midorima internally scolded himself for being so stupid. There was no way Kuroko meant them. Was there?

The werewolf shook his head, mentally telling himself that he could bring up his assumptions to the alpha later. If anyone were to know it would be Akashi Midorima decided with finality while he brought out his flask full of the foul smelling oil. Twisting of the cap, the medic began to drizzle the liquid over the lifeless form of the vampire, making sure to thoroughly soak her. A shift from in front of him alerted Midorima of Kuroko taking a step back as the air was filled with the pungent smell the gasoline harbored, then Kuroko choked out a question inquiring what he was doing. Midorima replied with a swift, "I'm going to burn the body," and put the lid back onto the flask before returning it back into his leather jacket.

The werewolf pulled out a small box of matches. "Vampires don't always die when shot in the head. Burning them ensures that they stay down for good." He explained, striking the match against the tiny box and watching as the stick burst into a burning flame of red. "Besides, it also destroys any evidence left behind." Midorima listlessly tossed the flame onto the corpse below him, the fire immediately erupting into a flurry of uncontained heat over the vampire's body. Eyes calculative as he studied the way the flames seem to give off an ethereal sight, Midorima shook his head lightly before treading over to the discarded gun and forgotten flashlight left on the floor. He picked them up before heading over to stand next to Kuroko, who was still staring at the corpse with an unidentifiable emotion swimming in his cerulean orbs.

"Here." The beta said, his words cutting through the sounds of crackling flames. Kuroko blinked at him in surprise as Midorima held out his belongings to him. While the little phantom slipped the flashlight back into his jacket and secured his gun on his thigh once again, Midorima's eyes lowered to meet the injury hidden behind the curtain of blue on Kuroko's temple. It had thankfully stopped bleeding, but as he recalled Kuroko having difficultly trying to recall the recent events Midorima figured the small bluenette had indeed experienced some form of a concussion that caused a slight case of amnesia. "When we get back to Akashi's remind me to look at that." He said, worry lacing his voice. Midorima blanched as soon as the words left his lips, realizing that he had actually sounded like he was concerned for the human.

"It's not like I care or anything, but it's my job to make sure all of us are properly healed and healthy once we come back from these kinds of things." The werewolf explained almost too quickly afterwards, a desperate attempt to try and appear like he wasn't worried over the other's wellbeing. Kuroko smiled at him in amusement, obviously catching onto the werewolf's horrible effort to hide his slip of words. Midorima internally scowled at himself. Roughly turning himself around, the greenette hurried to leave the building, noticing that the smell of burnt flesh was beginning to get overwhelming. Kuroko followed behind obediently, rushing to keep up with Midorima's longer stride as the werewolf led them outside and onto the street.

It was only a few minutes later that they ran into Murasakibara, and changed their direction to meet up with the rest of their pack. Along the way, Midorima's mind was full of terrifying scenarios surrounding the future plans of the vampires, his thoughts centering on what Kuroko had told him. It unsettled him, the idea of what the vampire's intentions were towards Kuroko and what it meant, and why it involved the . . . _Originals_. Midorima physically shuddered. _If it's what I think it is, then we're all doomed. _

* * *

"You bastards!" his voice screeched through the air, grating on Kise's sensitive ears like nails on a chalkboard. Kise's golden orbs held a lackluster cloud, their color dulled as they represented what their holder's personality was like: bored and highly annoyed. Kise stared, unamused, at the ravenette vampire chained in handcuffs. The metal made clinking sounds as he struggled where he lay next to a support column with his hands clasped behind his back. "When my master finds out what you're doing he'll kill you all!" he screamed again, throwing hateful glares at each of them.

Kise sighed and shifted his weight, finding a more comfortable position to rest as he leaned against another metal pillar. The leech hadn't stopped his bellowing since they found him, shouting insult after insult at them like it would help him escape in some way. The blonde made a scoffing sound. The vampire was an idiot if he thought riling up werewolves was a good idea. The only thing he could possibly get out of it would be a gruesome demise; werewolves weren't something to mess with if you succeeded in making them angry.

It just went to show how young the fledgling was though, since its experience with werewolves was next to none. Or, he could be trying to call for help, raising his voice to catch the attention of his vampire friends. But it appeared to be useless, as it had already been five minutes since they captured him and there were no signs that any of the leeches were going to come rescue their apprehended clan-mate. _Can't you shut up then?_ Kise whined internally.

God how he hated vampires. The dead parasites were the biggest pain in the ass to deal with for the werewolf. They were like roaches with how many they had in numbers and the fact that they never seemed to die no matter what. It was a constant annoyance when two more of them came out of nowhere whenever they managed to put one down. Even though some could be centuries old, the vampires had yet to learn when to quit. Of course, if the vampires actually decided to lay low for a while and not do anything that required the work of the werewolves then Kise was pretty sure that life would get extremely dreary fast. Maybe it was a good thing that there were vampires around. They were, after all, the reason why werewolves came into existence in the first place.

But there were some things that the blonde werewolf wished could change. Like the agonizingly sickening scent the vampires contained that made Kise want to choke himself to death so he wouldn't have to suffer from it in their presence. Even now the werewolf was having a hard time resisting the urge to leave the building they were currently in so he could escape from the stench that wafted from the restrained vampire in front of him. The copy-cat knew that he had a more sensitive sense of smell than the others did. It proved to be quite useful in certain situations but when it came to being within the direct vicinity of a vampire for more than a few minutes, the smell tended to give him a painful headache. Kise lifted a hand to rub underneath his nose, closing his eyes while imagining he was anywhere else besides here.

"Shut the fuck up, you damned bloodsucker!" Aomine yelled at their century old enemy, his voice ending in a snarl. Kise could tell his pack mate was starting to get just as annoyed as he was at the leech. Kise watched the vampire bare his fangs at the werewolf, but remained silent nonetheless. _Thank God._ Kise sighed in relief.

The fledgling hissed in irritation as he lay on the floor, his teeth clenching together as he strained to pull the handcuffs latched around his wrists apart. The metal chain between the cuffs didn't budge, its latch holding securely against the ravenette's attempt at freedom. Kise made a sound of amusement. The vampire's eyes snapped up to his, bright green meeting gold in challenge as the leech let out vicious growl. "What the hell are you laughing at, you fucking dog?!" he screeched.

Kise found the little vampire's struggle to be highly entertaining, what with the leech still not getting it through his thick head that there was no possible way he was going to get out of this. The cuffs securing his wrists might not be anything special to the average eye, but unbeknownst to the shrieking idiot, the restraints were actually enhanced by magical properties—courtesy of their friend. It was impossible for the newborn to break through them by force.

The metal was casted with a powerful spell that modified its current form and reinforced its durability to withstand any endeavor for freedom . . . well, usually. There had been a few times where the handcuffs had snapped easily at the slightest pull, like brittle glass. That was why they also injected the parasite with a small dosage of dead man's blood, the substance filtering through his veins and rendering him extremely weak, just enough so it would be an exertion to get to his feet but not sufficient to cause any serious injury or pain. They needed this vampire alive after all.

"Jeez, when are they going to get here?" Aomine asked no one in particular, bringing a hand up to rub tiredly at his eyes. "It's already been like five minutes!" he complained after a glance at his phone for the time. Kise would have to agree with Aomine on his impatience. It shouldn't be taking their pack-mates this long to find them, they did have Murasakibara leading them here anyways so what was with the prolonged absence?

A soft sigh came from across him, alerting the copy-cat of their alpha's presence again. "Daiki, have you forgotten that Tetsuya is with them as well?" Akashi had been quiet the whole time, keeping himself at a distance from the vampire and watching him with calculative eyes. It was the first time he had said anything since Kise got there. "Of course their arrival time would be delayed." Aomine looked a little miffed that he had missed something like that but didn't retort, only turning to glare at the leech as if he had been the reason for his forgetfulness.

The jade-eyed vampire's expression gained a thoughtful look, his features morphing into one of recognition after a few seconds. "Oh, you mean that little human you've been keeping on a leash lately like a pet? Kuroko Tetsuya, right?" the restrained underworlder spoke with a flash of fangs forming a sneer. "Man, I heard he's a cute little human that's still in high school and has a strange lack in the presence-department. Not many humans out there with that kind of special gift." He rattled on before a leer made its way onto his face. "It's too bad really. If it wasn't for you shitheads then I would have already been able to sink my fangs into his flesh—it's not every day you meet someone like him, ya know? Maybe he'll taste as good as he looks~"

"You sick fuck." Kise's eyes narrowed out of their own accord, the words leaving his mouth in a snarl of distaste. The vampire let out an amused chuckle, his shoulders shaking in mirth at their disgusted faces. The blonde werewolf refrained from snapping the parasite's neck to wipe the grin off his face, keeping his arms crossed over chest securely. Aomine's fists shook as he clenched them at his sides, the dark bluenette having trouble abstaining from tearing the vampire apart limb from limb. No one threatened one of their own without punishment.

"I can just imagine it," a dreamy haze slithered over the young ravenette's features, "the little human begging for mercy as I slowly bite into his throat, his pure blood rushing into my mouth. The taste would be like nothing I've ever experienced before." He made a sound of ecstasy at the thought. "He would struggle at first—they always do, but I'll make him enjoy it and want more." Kise felt bile rising into his esophagus, the vile substance burning like acid. "Then, just before the last of his heavenly life has drained from his body," the fledgling's gaze traveled up to meet Aomine's, his eyes ablaze in challenge, "I'll kill him."

The words seemed to set off something inside the hotheaded werewolf as his eyes widened, the black pupils within expanding till they almost painted the whole iris. Kise couldn't react fast enough before Aomine rushed the bound vampire with an ear-splitting roar, the distance closing between them in a single leap. The ground where the werewolf was previously standing shook with the force, cracks breaking in the cement as it was pushed down from the raw, uncontained power. Kise could only stare in awe at the frightening sight that was Aomine when he was severely pissed. The werewolf's reflexes and agility far surpassed Kise's own, rendering him useless to try and stop the rampaging wolf. But that couldn't be said for the alpha that moved to block Aomine's path head-on.

Aomine stopped a few feet away from Akashi, snarls leaving his mouth as he glared at the alpha preventing him from ending the despicable vampire's life. Kise watched cautiously as the two held a stare down, neither relenting in the silent battle. Akashi held firm in his spot, his head held high to gaze into Aomine's orbs of fury as he shielded the vampire from the ganguro's sight. Kise felt himself shiver at the scene before him, a strike of fear traveling up his spine after looking into Akashi's mismatched eyes. He had only seen this look a few times from the absolute alpha.

The red color in his right eye was like that of molten lava, the red tint blazing with hell itself at those who defied him. And the left was filled with a burning light of melted gold, the intensity giving the illusion that one could actually feel heat radiating from the pools of color. It made those who decided to disobey want to curl up in a hole forever, the power something that would haunt anyone's nightmares. This was the truest form of Akashi displaying his dominance in the pack. This was Akashi showing the world that he held the highest position: Alpha. And there was no way the alpha was going to let his subordinate defy him.

Aomine stilled, his growls diminishing in volume as the seconds passed by. His azure eyes were wild with the wolf, his body tense and prepared to spring. But Kise saw the way Aomine clenched his jaw, fighting a battle internally with the beast that was running rampage in his thoughts, destroying any and all sense of rationality. The blonde werewolf knew that Aomine was struggling to remain calm and regain control of the wolf. It would be a death sentence if he were to fight Akashi after the alpha had initiated the challenge first, and Aomine didn't want to fight their respected leader even if his wolf inside was snarling at him to make the first move. But Kise knew that Aomine had trouble reining his wolf in, the bluenette's past problem was still something that clung to his heels, unrelenting to let go as it dug a hole of despair for Aomine.

"Daiki." Akashi spoke, his voice neither soft nor stern as its even tone filled the air. Aomine made a huffing sound when his name reached his ears, blinking at the familiarity. "Control yourself. Do not let the words of a parasitical lowlife get to you." No one moved, all eyes trained on the volatile werewolf as he went silent. Akashi watched the black holes in Aomine's irises waver, their inky color swarming with several emotions. "You're better than this. Don't resort to violence with the beast's instigation, it will only cause more harm than good. Don't let it win."

The alpha's words struck a chord within the unstable shapeshifter. Aomine sucked in a breath as he straightened up, shaking his head harshly from side to side to clear his thoughts of their hazy imprisonment. Kise let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, the air passing through his lips as his golden gaze watched Aomine's orbs retain their normal appearance, the pupil receding and azure filling its place. The bluenette blinked in confusion, thoughts most likely still being jumbled after the high of adrenaline.

"Sorry, 'Kashi." The werewolf mumbled.

Kise stifled a chuckle at his pack member, finding the simple apology amusing. It was just like Aomine to have such a small reaction after something like that. If he had actually allowed the wolf to control his movements and fought Akashi then . . . well, maybe it was best if he didn't say. Aomine was one of the worst in their pack when it came to subduing the wolf inside. What had just transpired wasn't the first to happen, and it most definitely wouldn't be the last.

Kise could only hope that Aomine's unstable actions never came to any serious repercussions, but he internally knew that it was only a matter of time before the hotheaded teen slipped and did something truly irremediable. It was after all, hard for the bluenette to manage in this lifestyle, especially since it was practically in his nature to be reliant on his wolf—that and the fact that the life Aomine had come from wasn't a pleasant one . . . Kise shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that.

"What?! That's it?!" a voice roared from below, startling the copy-cat out of his thoughts. He had almost forgotten the vampire was even there since he had grown so quiet after Aomine snapped a fuse. _Too bad Aomine didn't kill him._ Kise internally whined, wanting the underworlder to shut his mouth and actually stay silent for once. The leech squirmed around on the ground until he was sitting on his ass, his face marred into an ugly scowl. "And here I thought I would get to see some action. You wolves are fucking_ boring_." He sighed in exasperation with a pout.

"Shut up, leech." Aomine immediately snapped in return, completely forgetting about his earlier phase. Kise shook his head at the ganguro's antics. Aomine would never change. He would fight with a vampire every chance he got. "I'll show you some 'action.'" The werewolf began to advance on the defenseless vampire, his face set into a glower.

Akashi held a hand to the other's chest, pushing back with a stern look. "Enough, Daiki." He said tersely to stop Aomine in his tracks. Aomine gave one glance at their alpha before turning around, grumbling to himself as he walked away.

"Hah! Giving up so easily?" green eyes held a glint of mirth at the scolding Aomine received. "Guess it should be expected from a lot of filthy mongrels such as yourselves. You all think you're high and mighty until your shitty alpha comes in to rein your sorry asses back into place. And you know what that makes you?" Kise felt himself desperately wanting to punch that haughty smirk off the ravenette's face. The vampire leaned forward as if to tell Aomine a secret despite the distance between them, a look of amusement plastered over his features. "That makes you his little bitc—"

The vampire's words were cut short forcefully when a fist came into contact with his jaw, the power behind the hit creating a satisfying _crack_ sound as it broke the bone. The leech's green eyes widened in shock as he flew backwards, a startled shriek escaping from the unexpected punch to his face. Akashi towered over him, his eyes narrowed into slits as he gazed down in distaste.

"Your constant usage of profanities is irritating. I do not tolerate such words when directed towards my pack." Akashi spoke flatly, his eyes searing holes into the helpless fledgling who was shaking on the ground in fright. "It would do you good if you were to refrain from saying such threats when in my presence. The next time, it will be your tongue that I will detach from your body." The vampire nodded his head in understanding and Akashi made a snort of disgust, turning around so he could return to his place by the wall.

Kise couldn't find it in himself to hold back the laugher that came pouring from his lips, finding the situation to be too hilarious. It wasn't every day he saw his alpha swing a fist to shut up a vampire. The little annoying leech must have finally crossed the line and Akashi had taken the pleasure of actually shutting him up. Kise's laugh dwindled to small chuckles after a few seconds, remembering that he was still on a mission and thus had to stay professional. But the copy-cat couldn't keep the grin from etching itself in his lips while he watched the vampire's struggle to remain silent. The leech was limp on the floor, his broken jaw unable to close the gap between his teeth as it hung off its hinges. The vampire was strangely subdued for once. _Hah! _Kise mused in mirth. _Who's whose bitch now? _

Kise's ears twitched when a shuffle of several footsteps echoed from outside, their pace light yet quick as they gradually came closer to the building they resided in. The blonde tilted his head as he identified three pairs of footfalls and sighed in relief upon figuring the rest of their pack had finally decided to show up. He heard Aomine let out a breath with a "finally" filling the air just as the doors opened to reveal the final members of their group. Kise raised an eyebrow at the sight of dried blood sticking to the side of Kuroko's face, the bluenette looking as if he had just been hit by a semi-truck. Kise saw Akashi do the same thing as him, a questioning look plastered to his face as he raised an eyebrow at Midorima. The greenette sighed and casted a look to the alpha that said he'd explain it later.

"Aww, fuck. There's more of you?" the parasite complained from the floor—or at least that's what Kise thought he said. He wasn't too sure since the words he spoke sounded garbled and cut short since he was still trying to heal from his injury. It was a miracle in itself that he was even capable to sound that coherent considering his bone was crushed to the side which should have prevented him from being able to form any words at all. Despite the vamp's annoying moans Kise chose to ignore him, opting instead to sprint towards the small phantom to tackle him into a bone crushing hug.

"Kurokocchi! I'm so happy you're here~" Kise shouted with a huge grin breaking out on his face as he jumped to grab Kuroko. A flash of cerulean blue met his in the brief second that he was airborne, Kuroko giving him a side-glance before promptly stepping forward to move safely out of Kise's trajectory. The smile swiftly flew off the blonde werewolf's expression as he sailed through empty air and abruptly crashed into the hard ground beneath him. "Ack!" Kise couldn't stop the sound of slight hurt escaping, his body painfully connecting with the cement and flipping over with the momentum till he landed with an _oof_ on his back. The teen blinked at the ceiling a few times, feeling flabbergasted that the little shadow had evaded him so easily.

"Kurokocchi . . ." Kise whined while lifting himself up from the floor, "so mean~" a few tears pricked at the corners of his eyes for affect as he gazed in dejection towards the smaller bluenette.

The expressionless teen didn't even give him a glance. "I would prefer if Kise-kun didn't try to mortally wound me with one of his fatal and hazardous death hugs. I'd rather not die at the present moment."

_Mortally wound? Death hugs? _It felt as if Kuroko's words had pierced though him, an invisible force driving itself deeply into Kise's very being without mercy. The werewolf doubled over as if he was actually struck through his chest, a hand clasping in his light blue shirt while a shaky grin made its way to his face. "Y-You don't really mean that do you?" the blonde was met with silence, Kuroko having left him to join the others near the restrained vamp; they looked to be in a heavy conversation. "Hey!" Kise wailed though no one turned to give their attention to the whining werewolf. _Why does everyone ignore me?!_ Kise huffed internally and stomped over to stand next to Aomine who was fiddling with his bowie knife out of boredom.

"Now that we are all here it would be best if we commenced with our reason for being here." Akashi spoke, his arms crossed as he stood only a few feet away from the green-eyed parasite. Kise watched as Kuroko glanced around the room in curiosity, his blue orbs finally coming to rest on the bound ravenette in confusion.

"Who is he?" the little shadow asked out of pure interest, his eyes blinking towards the alpha in expectance of an answer.

"A nuisance—that's what." Aomine said, despite the question not being directed at him. He flipped his knife through the air, catching it and pointing it at the vampire with his usual scowl painted on his features. "A pain in the ass, rotten as hell, fucking nuisance who doesn't know when to keep his trap shut." Kuroko blinked at the vulgarities spewing from the hotheaded teen's mouth like water. It wasn't like he hadn't ever heard the werewolf curse, though it was the first time he's heard it being said with so much malice. If Kuroko only knew how much the vampire had actually ticked off the dark bluenette before they got here—that, and just the fact that Aomine already held such an extreme abhorrence towards the undead underworlders.

"Look who's talking." A voice quipped from below. Kise's golden orbs snapped down to see the vampire spitting out a clot of blood, his teeth grinding together in pain as his jaw finally set back into place. Aomine released a snarl but didn't attempt to do anything towards the sarcastic comment jibed at him. A flicker of annoyance passed over Akashi's mismatched eyes, their color clouding from the emotion as he let out a small growl in warning. The vampire glanced at the alpha and gulped, shivers raking his spine as he lowered his green gaze to the ground and refrained from making any other sounds.

"This is a fledgling, as you probably already know." Akashi turned to Kuroko. "Although the newborn is fairly young and most likely clueless to the majority of the supernatural in general, I have beliefs that he might contain knowledge of the one who turned him." Kuroko's eyes travelled over to the vampire again, who was once again struggling quietly with his chains. "Whether or not we retrieve that information easily depends entirely on him. Fledgling vampires have a knack for being difficult, and this one hasn't proved to be anything different."

A mumble came from the vampire, almost too inaudible and low to hear—even for Kise's keen ears. All eyes turned to the chained newborn, the vampire sitting with a frown on his young face. "What?" Kise asked when a few moments passed and the vampire didn't look like he was going to repeat what he said anytime soon. The leech jolted as if stung, his head lifting to meet the inquiring stares from the werewolves surrounding him. He shifted, an uncomfortable expression wafting over his face.

"I said," the vampire looked down again, "I have a fucking name."

Midorima snorted from across Kise, raising a hand to push up his combat glasses more securely on the bridge of his nose. "Then please, enlighten us." The greenette's voice dripped with obvious sarcasm. The newborn gave a small hiss, his eyes narrowed in distaste at the unappreciated comment towards him.

"Why the hell should I tell you filthy bunch of dogs?" the leech spat, turning his nose up in the air. "It's not like you'll even use it—being the disrespectful fucking bastards you are."

"What the hell?!" Aomine exclaimed, his eyebrow giving a small twitch in annoyance. "You said 'you have a name' as in invitation for actually telling us it and then you go saying that shit? What the fuck kind of logic is that?! Quit being so damn difficult!" the hotheaded teen demanded to which the vampire completely ignored. Not enjoying the way the fledgling disregarded him, Aomine let out a deep growl, his teeth grinding together in aggravation.

"Please stop this." A soft voice floated through the air, nearly startling everyone at its unexpectedness. Kise whipped his head to the direction of the voice, his eyes eventually falling on the pale bluenette located at the corner of their little "group." Kuroko took a few steps towards the center of the crude circle around the newborn, his cerulean orbs trained intensely on the vampire's green stones of fresh cut grass. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya." The phantom introduced himself impassively. "What's yours?"

_Idiot! _Kise thought, mentally face palming himself. _Don't go introducing yourself to the enemy so carelessly! _

"Uh . . ." the leech didn't seem to know how to react, completely caught off guard by the small teen's actions. "K-Kaede Nobuyuki." He managed to stutter out with confusion marring his features.

"Nice to meet you." Was the blank reply. A stifling silence befell the area after the words left the bluenette's lips. Kise shook his head at Kuroko, not finding it in himself to tell the other that they were here to _interrogate_ the vampire, not befriend it or even hold a civil conversation with it. A sigh escaped the blonde werewolf. _Sometimes, Kuroko's too naïve for his own good. _

"Enough of this." The heterochromatic-eyed alpha broke the quiet around them, his voice cutting the silence like a blade through water. "We are wasting precious time—need I not remind you that we are still within a fledgling nest, and every second spent here is a high risk for us all. We must begin the interrogation before anything inconvenient occurs. Daiki, Atsushi," said werewolves raised their heads to look at the redhead, "assist me with the _fledgling_." The heterochromatic-eyed werewolf sent a cold stare at the vampire who could only shrivel in fright under the gaze, not having the confidence to correct Akashi on his name. "Shintarō, Ryōta, keep guard and make sure we aren't interrupted." Kise and Midorima gave a swift nod of acknowledgement. "Tetsuya remain here. Now, we will—"

Kise didn't stick around long enough to hear what the rest of his alpha had to say, quickly following his green haired pack mate out of the stuffy building and out onto the quiet streets of the night. Midorima and he shared a small glance, a silent conversation passing between them before Kise turned to head up to the roof of the building while Midorima sprinted off to lurk in the shadows from afar. It was always like this; Kise would take up the position of close surveillance, usually sticking within a few hundred yards of the rest of their pack. Midorima tended to keep to the borders of a kilometer's distance, keeping an eye on anything that could be a potential threat from the hidden cloak of darkness. Words were never spoken to create this arrangement, it just happened one day and the two haven't tried to change it since.

Kise crouched on the edge of the tall building, his eyes gazing out to the dark ocean that fell from the docks just ten yards away from where he stood. It glittered beautifully in the silver light the crescent moon glowed, the color reflecting as mellow waves crashed against the shore. Sighing as he sat down on the ledge, the night sky like that of a million fireflies, Kise couldn't help but feel relaxed as a gentle breeze caressed his cheeks. The vampire stench in the air wasn't as prominent as it was when they first got here, of course that could be because they were on the outskirts of the abandoned part of the city, the place backing up to the light scent of the ocean. However, when Kise breathed in a deep intake of air the only thing he received was the weak, lingering smells of long-gone vampires. It would seem the parasites had finally decided to flee the area and return to wherever their God forsaken clan resided at.

Even though that piece of information was good, Kise couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or not. The vampires could have fled simply because of their presence, not finding it to be safe when in their immediate vicinity. That was probably the best answer but if the vampires had returned to their clan then that meant they had to travel through the city, which was swarming with people who would practically be a walking buffet for them. Kise internally wished the vamps had enough restraint to not tear open the closest living being to them. It was severely risky since there were so many of them and that could allow the humans to discover their secret identities and that could mean the death of all of them. Hopefully the vampires weren't a bunch of massacring idiots like usual.

It was only ten minutes later when Kise heard the doors of the abandoned warehouse slam open, a shadowed figure running out of the building in hurried steps. It took him a second to realize it was Kuroko; the little bluenette's heaved panting being loud enough for Kise to hear despite the distance between them. The pale phantom made it to the end of the docks, standing on the edge of the molded wood and stared into the dark horizon. Kise turned his head down to peer at the doors of the building, the metal swinging on their hinges as they closed back up again from the force of the impact. Why did Kuroko take off like that? Kise stood up from his seat, determining that the only way to find out would be to ask the bluenette himself.

Making sure that all of his guns were secured tightly on his person, the werewolf gave a slight sniff before stepping off of the roof to freefall down to the ground. The wind blew his hair back, his jacket and shirt whipping around him as he dropped like a stone towards the fast approaching ground. His feet landed lightly on the street, his knees bending slightly to absorb most of the impact as he crouched to balance himself before taking off at a slow jog to where the smaller teen was standing. The phantom didn't seem to notice his presence as the blonde werewolf came to a stop next to him, his cerulean blue stones clouded with thoughts. Kise didn't know what to say to the silent high schooler, remaining silent and deciding that he would allow for the bluenette to break the silence first. What came out of Kuroko's mouth, however, was not something he expected—at all.

"I hate what they are doing."

Kise snapped his head to look over at Kuroko, the smaller teen had a look of disgust on his face though he was still looking out at the ocean. "Huh?" was all the copy-cat could reply, not fully understanding what the human was saying. "What do you mean, Kurokocchi?" it was then that a scream pierced through the air, the tone blood-curdling.

Kuroko's hands clenched into fists. "I do not agree with what Akashi-kun has decided for the vampire. Torturing him for answers . . ." Kuroko's words drifted off, the phantom looking a little paler than usual. Kise blinked at the bluenette, confusion marring his flawless features. "It's not humane."

_What?_ Did Kuroko actually feel _sympathy_ for the bloodsucking leech? Even after all the trouble those underworlders have put him through Kuroko still has the ability to care for the wellbeing of one of them? "But Kurokocchi! Why should you care about those filthy vampires?" Kise questioned with false innocence, his head tilting to the side. Kuroko glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and Kise couldn't stop the flinch out of fear from the heated glare. The blonde werewolf lifted his hands up in a passive manor, stepping back out of reflex. "Ah . . . w-what I mean is, the vampires have been trying to get their claws on you for a while now. Shouldn't you feel some sort of hate towards them?"

"It's true that I don't particularly like the vampires in general," Kuroko let out a sigh and returned to gazing at the silver waves, "but that doesn't mean that I dislike Kaede-kun personally." _Kaede? Oh, the name of the fledgling._ "It's not like he has done anything to me. And honestly, despite his vampire status, Kaede-kun is still a person. He doesn't deserve this kind of ill treatment."

Kise ran a hand through his golden locks, feeling uneasy about the other's concern for their enemy. Just what was he supposed to say? It wasn't as if he shared the same views as Kuroko. If he were to be completely truthful with himself, the idea that the vampire was finally getting beaten was kind of a relief to the werewolf. It always made him somewhat glad when the leeches got what they warranted from killing so many innocent people. To him, none of the vile underworlders deserved to live. But even though Kuroko has experienced firsthand what the vampires were, he still considered the vampire as someone who didn't deserve this fate and was actually troubled for him. Kise didn't know whether the human was completely kindhearted through and through, or just downright blind.

Why should Kuroko care what that repulsive leech feels? He was a disgrace on this earth, forever damned to lurked in the shadows and feed from the thing he once was: a human. Vampires killed without a hint of guilt or mercy, taking from this earth without restrained and did whatever they pleased. Their numbers polluted the lands and they stained the ground of innocent blood without any remorse. They were . . . they were_ monsters_. Why couldn't Kuroko see that? Why did he still . . . care?

"You shouldn't feel sorry for something like that." Kise spoke without thinking, his temper flaring at the thought of Kuroko wasting his thoughts on something as undeserving as a vampire. "That fledgling is still a vampire, and vampires kill. He could have already taken several lives." The blonde werewolf clenched his fists. "Don't spend your time feeling concerned for something that doesn't give a damn about you!" Kise almost yelled. Something flashed in front of his eyes as soon as the words left his mouth, a memory coming to the surface after so many years of keeping it buried. The memory made him choke, his eyes widening. "They always take you for granted." He managed to force out in a whisper.

"Kise-kun?" Kuroko questioned with worry etched in his expression. "Is something wrong?" a hand reached out to lightly tug on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Don't care about other people." Kise breathed through his nose, closing his amber eyes. "It never ends the way you'd expect it to.

"I would know."

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**And there you have it. If I missed any grammar errors please tell me and I will fix it immediately. Also, thank you to all who have reviewed, favorited, and followed so far! You don't know how much that means to me! Anyways, don't forget to REVIEW! They are like my fuel for writing these excruciatingly hard chapters, that and I love to read your thoughts about my work. If you have any questions I'll try to answer them to the best of my abilities as quickly as I can.  
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**Until next time~  
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	11. Chapter 11: Darkness Cast into the Light

**Hello! Here I am with another chapter! I'm so excited to say that this story is about a fifth of the way through. There's so much that happens in this one I mean _ugh _17,000 words?! Come on! Forgive me but I couldn't split this chapter up in any way. There are also lots of time-changes in this chapter. They are separated so I think it shouldn't be too confusing. The past point of view is done in italics. Please enjoy! **

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**Chapter 11: Darkness Cast into the Light **

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"_I would know."_

The feeling was indescribable, suffocating as it bubbled up into Kise's chest like an unstable volcano. Emotions that were buried beneath years of abandonment stirring and cracking under the prison Kise had trapped them in, pushing relentlessly to escape from their confinement. The werewolf clenched his teeth and forced the sensation back down into the pit where they belonged, making sure to lock them up even tighter than before. After the emotions settled into calm once again Kise felt himself inhale in relief; tasting the salty tinge the sea breeze carried in the air when he licked his lips. Now wasn't the time to loose himself.

"What do you mean Kise-kun?" Kuroko asked with a slight furrow of his brows as he looked at the blonde werewolf. "Is something troubling you?"

Kise turned his head towards the side while his eyes searched listlessly across the ocean for nothing in particular; perhaps he was just trying to find a way to stall so he wouldn't have to answer the bluenette. Why did Kuroko have to sound so concerned for him? It's not like they were family or anything. In fact, even though Kise has spent a lot of time with Kuroko he still knew almost next to none about the small phantom. And it wasn't as if he had run his mouth off about himself to the bluenette either. If it wasn't for Kuroko offering his help to them then Kise was sure that despite having saved his life, Kise wouldn't have tried to seek the other out for any means. Their encounter was by mere chance and the happenings after that were solely business. He had no doubt that after they eliminated the Nisshoku Clan, their little joint excursion with Kuroko would end and Kuroko would be on his merry way.

So why should he have to explain every little detail about himself that was troubling? It was his business and his problems alone. Kuroko should learn to keep his worries to himself, caring about another's wellbeing besides your own only lead to problems. Another flash of pain traveled through the werewolf at the thought, making him grimace and clutch his head in agony as a memory whipped across his vision. His action made the bluenette beside him reach out and place a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Kise's eyes glanced to the side and caught the worry swimming in the phantom's cerulean orbs. Why was it that despite Kuroko having a nonexistent ability to produce facial expressions, his eyes held more emotion than any face could show? Why was it that his eyes had to display such raw emotions? Didn't he know that insolent bastards out there liked to take advantage of that?

A rush of anger boiled hot inside Kise. "_You wouldn't understand_." The werewolf spat, startling Kuroko into taking a step back. Kise frowned at himself, not having intended to scare the high schooler. He hadn't meant to let his emotions get the best of him, but how could he keep from lashing out when Kuroko knew nothing about him yet still tried to help. It didn't make any sense! "You wouldn't know," Kise continued, though not as harsh, "at least, not with those eyes." Kuroko blinked in confusion, not understanding the words the werewolf was saying.

"It doesn't matter if I don't understand Kise-kun." Kuroko's soft words filled the silence. Kise stared at him in confusion, watching as Kuroko let out a breath of air and turned to face the ocean again. "Sometimes it's best to just listen and hear what others are saying, especially if that someone needs another to confide in and not have to worry about any repercussions. If something is bothering you Kise-kun then I am here to listen." Something lurched in Kise after hearing those words, a startling pain pierced his heart and a memory came to the surface fully.

"_Oh, Kise-kun. You look so troubled." A smile was shown his way. "It's not good to keep all those emotions locked up, you should know. If something is troubling you then I am always here to listen."_

Tears pricked at the corners of Kise's golden orbs, threatening to fall down his cheeks. The werewolf trembled as an overwhelming sadness washed over him. It was just like what she used to say to him, before everything happened. Before he screwed up and wasted all her efforts for him. Why was Kuroko able to make him feel so helpless? Just that one sentence had the ability to make the copy-cat's resolve come crashing down like a house of cards. Maybe he just wasn't that good at keeping his emotions sealed shut as he thought. Well, it was too late now. He could already feel the trapped enclosure of mixed feelings swarming up to the surface again, desperate for freedom after so many years. Kise knew he couldn't hold them back any longer but . . . it frightened him as to what he would find on the other side of the locked doors.

Kise closed his eyes and let out a long sigh before turning around to face Kuroko completely. "I wasn't born a werewolf." It took all of Kise's self-control not to falter in his words or flee into the city. The werewolf felt a few shudders travel through his spine at the uncontrollable fear wafting over him. "I was human in my early childhood. You could say I wasn't the most behaved kid out in the world but it was through chance that I was able to meet someone who truly cared for me." Kise's cut stones of gold wavered in memory, their color becoming dulled as their owner's thoughts became clouded. "Too bad I took it for granted."

* * *

_A pair of worn sneakers trampled across the ground, their impact on the concrete disrupting the water beneath and causing the liquid to splatter. The footsteps were hurried; though no one would have taken much notice considering the sky was an ugly gray and was drowning the ground with its onslaught of rain. Anyone would have run to get home. Spending too much time in the cold water would leave even the strongest immune system fighting a raging battle against a cold. But that didn't stop them from flying down the slippery slopes of several streets, their determination to run despite the coldness outweighing the possibility of becoming ill. If anyone were to watch they would have thought them to be mad for being outside in that kind of storm._

_But if one were to look closely they would be able to tell that the person had been out in the freezing rain for far too long. Their clothes clung to them like a second skin, completely drenched and no longer useful to try and contain any form of body heat. Their hair stuck to their face, the long tresses falling in front of their eyes as they zig-zagged though the stormy night. Despite the rather young appearance of the person that identified them to be no older than thirteen, the child's fiery yet terrified gaze was startling for someone so young and would leave anyone that had looked inside questioning what the child had gone through to look like that. If one were to wait for a few seconds after seeing the boy they would soon have the answer to their question. What made the boy run was not because of the weather, or the intent to get home, no—it was because of the formidable man that was chasing him which had the child fleeing._

_Kise could feel the cold air burning his lungs as he gasped for breath. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to force in oxygen to his desperate lungs the air would catch in his throat or he would choke on it when it passed through his respiratory system, the oxygen making his lungs sting on contact. It was becoming too difficult for him to keep on his feet. The ground was slick with water and his body was starting to shake from the endeavor at fleeing for his life yet again. It made him wonder if stealing from the man's store was worth it. All the fright and effort it was just to escape from the man was proving to be too much, even for him. Kise knew that he couldn't go on much longer. If he didn't find somewhere to hide fast then he was sure he was going die. _

_The teen's foot caught on something and the boy quickly found himself sliding across the concrete, the hard surface cutting into his flesh on impact. The object which he had stolen tumbled out of his ratty jacket, rolling along the ground for a few yards before coming to a stop. The child clenched his teeth in pain but made no sound, rubbing his hands on his elbows which had taken the brunt of the fall before patting himself down. When his palms brushed over his pocket the child fretted when he found that his stolen good was no longer in his safekeeping. Kise whipped his head around to look for where it could have landed, feeling terrified at the thought of the man slowly closing the gap between them. When his golden eyes came into contact with the object several feet away he didn't waste any time to scurry over and retrieve it._

_The fruit had rolled to a stop next to a set of stairs. Kise felt relieved that the fruit had survived the fall, even though the red skin was now discolored from the bruises it received when it hit the ground. Kise snatched the apple off the wet concrete, stuffing it back in his pocket as he stood up. When he got to his feet, the boy's eyes traveled up the building that stood before him, the light casting a yellow glow on his pale features. At the top read "Kohaku's Library." The teen looked around to make sure the man hadn't shown up yet before climbing the stairs and entering the quaint little building. When he stepped through the door a little chime at the top from a bell rang through the room, alerting the shopkeeper of his presence. But when he looked at the desk he found no one there, the large room being completely deserted save for the several hundred books lining the walls and shelves. _

_Kise closed the door and quickly went to one of the bookshelves in the middle of the room, slipping behind it so he could peer out into the street without being detected. It was only a few seconds after that that the man who had been chasing him ran into view, his steps coming to a stop as he yelled something out in the rain. Whatever he said went unheard when the sky clapped with thunder, the sound deafening as a new assault of rain pelted the earth in a renewed vigor. Kise watched as the man screamed something else before turning on his heels and taking off in the direction he had come. A soft sigh escaped the child's lips without his consent. If only he hadn't been so careless then maybe he could have left the store without the owner knowing of his theft. Kise mentally scolded himself for his tactless actions._

_Turning around, the blonde boy sank to the floor, the wood beneath him having accumulated a puddle from his dripping clothes. Kise paid it no mind though and quickly pulled out his apple, admiring the now dulled fruit in his hands. It had been a good while since he had tasted something as fresh as a fruit. Kise wondered what it would be like when he finally got to sink his teeth into the crunchy flesh of the apple, the juice filling his mouth and cascading down his chin when he took a bite. The fruit would give a delicious _snap _sound when he broke a portion off, the taste would be like nothing he had experienced before. Kise licked his lips in anticipation, bringing the slightly dented fruit up to his mouth. But just before his teeth could finally pierce the apple a voice broke the silence above him. _

"_And who might you be, young man?"_

_A startled shriek left Kise as he jumped a few inches from the floor, his grip slipping on his prize. Kise sat frozen as the fruit rolled and came to a gentle stop next to a pair of black clad feet. Kise blinked in surprise, slowly raising his gaze up the form of the person. She was wearing an old fashioned kimono, the cloth falling to lightly brush across the ground. It was a bright crimson in color with the bottoms of the dress and sleeves coated in a pale blue, the solid blue eventually forming flowers as it rose from the end. Light blue petals drifted off from the flowers and flew across her kimono, giving the impression that wind was blowing through it every time she moved. Her obi was a startling black that hugged her form and contrasted greatly in comparison to the other bright colors present on the dress. _

_When Kise's eyes reached the woman's face he felt his breath catch in his throat. The woman was beautiful—well, the kind of beautiful that said she was noticeably pretty before age had caught up with her. She was obviously in her older years of life now, the skin around her face wrinkled slightly with age that told she had laughed most of her life. Her kind expression was framed by long bangs, the locks a deep ebony in color though beginning to streak with gray. Her hair was pulled into a bun held by chopsticks, the wood a captivating blue in her black mane. Despite her old age the women's eyes held a spark of youth, the intensity making Kise feel as if the woman in front of him was actually much younger than she appeared. She studied him in return, her eyes calculative as she pulled a cigarette out from between her lips, the nicotine escaping her mouth causing a flurry of smoke to fill the air lightly. _

_Kise could only watch as the woman stooped down to pick up the forgotten apple, her movements more fluid than what Kise would have thought an old lady would be capable. Blue eyes studied the red fruit in her hand, twisting it in her fingers as she took note of all the bruising forming on the dented skin. Kise felt a little wary as he stared at the old lady, a feeling of warning blazing in his chest. What was she going to do with his apple? He had worked hard and almost got caught trying to snatch that apple from the market. Not only that but it was the first form of food he would be able to eat after going hungry for several days. That apple could very mean life or death for him right now. He didn't think he could go another minute without giving his stomach something to eat, it's been too long and the hunger was only growing worse. Kise was prepared to snatch the apple away and take off again but before he could do so the woman spoke. _

"_This is a pathetic looking apple. So much so that I would even go so far as to not call it a fruit anymore. What with all its bruises and broken skin I would hardly deem it decent to eat anymore." _

_Kise felt a burning rage erupt in his chest. Just who was she to call his meal lowly?! It wasn't as if he got to eat gourmet meals whenever he liked. Hell, just finding something that would fill him up was hard enough to come across not to mention if the food was actually edible anymore. It wasn't his fault for not being able to provide himself with anything decent anymore. The old lady didn't know anything yet she thought she could judge him for his food? Kise stood up abruptly, bristling and feeling like he was about to explode from anger. But before he could say one word, the woman began speaking again._

"_This apple is not appropriate to be consumed by one such as yourself. You are a growing, young man. And young men need to be fed properly." Kise blinked in confusion at the other's words, thinking that she spoke weirdly. The thought made his anger dissipate, the emotion replaced by puzzlement as he watched the old lady turn around and begin walking towards a staircase he hadn't noticed before. She stopped at the edge of the stairs, turning her head to glance at him over her shoulder. Their eyes met and she brought the cigarette up to her lips, saying, "Come. I will prepare you something that is worthy to be eaten—especially by someone who looks as hungry as you." _

_Kise could only stand there, not trusting the woman for her words but also unwilling to head back out onto the cold streets again. The woman sighed as she watched him internally struggle. "If you find it to be that difficult to believe what I say then here is your apple." The woman placed the fruit on a table next to the stairs. "Take it and you are free to go. But if you decide against it and are willing to trust me, then I will be waiting above for you." Kise wasn't given time to reply before the bright red of her kimono disappeared into the shadows of the stairs, a thin trail of smoke following her as it curled in the air. _

* * *

"That was the first time I had met Kohaku." Kise said, a slight smile etched on the corners of his lips but the soft expression was ruined by the sense of forlorn in his golden eyes at the memory. "She had invited me to come over and eat with her whenever I wanted. I was hesitant at first since no one had ever really offered me such a kindness. And it took me almost a week after that before I returned with an empty stomach." Kise frowned as he recalled something else of his past. "Sometimes I wish I had been nicer to her in the beginning. But I guess I was still trying to get used to the notion of someone trying to help me. It was a little over a month of eating with her that I had finally lashed out."

* * *

_Kise fumbled over a couple of tossed garbage bags, their contents being knocked out as he ran through them. He almost fell to the ground, his foot having got caught in the plastic but the teen quickly freed himself and tumbled a few steps before flying down the alley once again. The blonde's eyes were wide in thrill, the pupils inside shrunk to little pinpoints in the ocean of gold. Adrenaline made the child's blood pump loudly in his ears, his breath quick and in light gasps as he ran with all his might. Every time he took a step the more he knew he was lengthening the space between him and his pursuer, the man obviously not being quick enough to catch up to the younger. Kise felt a smile break out on his face, enjoying the fact that he had all but won the meagre race of a battle._

_Taking a few turns down the streets Kise smirked when he realized he was only a few blocks away from his temporary salvation. If he were to slip inside for a while then the man would run past none the wiser—if he was even able to accomplish following him this far at least. Kise snickered in mockery at the man's helplessness and swiftly climbed the few stairs leading to the entrance, opening the door which gave a light ring and darted inside. Despite his lungs heaving for breath Kise's expression held a prideful grin, believing he had just pulled off something commendable. The teen moved to stand behind a few shelves of books, deciding that he would hide and wait till he knew the pursuing man had given up or completely lost him. _

_The downstairs part of the library was void of any persons, the place silent in tranquil and lit by the sunset shining through the tall windows lining the walls and high ceiling. Kise had grown to be familiar with the building, especially since it was where he knew he would be fed. He and Kohaku had built a kind of routine over the past few weeks of being together. Kise would come by every other day to have a meal with her. He knew she would have allowed him to come over more often but Kise refrained from spending too much time with her, not wanting to become too dependent on the woman's courtesy. But on the days that he managed to drag himself over he would have to admit that he enjoyed being in Kohaku's presence. She was very kind though most people wouldn't get that impression of her on the first introduction. _

_Kise was wary when he had eaten with her the first time. He hadn't felt comfortable as he watched her cook from the dining room table. Just how was he supposed to react to someone who'd claimed they felt generous enough to actually offer him something for free? Kise had sat stiff throughout the preparation of the food and even when she had finally set down his heaping plate in front of him, Kise remained quiet. They were both silent as they ate, Kise practically having shoved his food down his throat without chewing. The food was probably the best he had ever tasted, and it almost brought tears of relief to his eyes when his stomach let out a sound of protest from the amount of food he was feeding it. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt full. When he was done he had awkwardly sat at the table watching as Kohaku ate her meal which was still half full. _

_He hadn't known what to do then now that the woman had carried out her unannounced promise of feeding him. But it took only a few seconds before he felt himself standing up and bowing as low as he could, an overwhelming sense of gratitude eating away at his previous suspicions. He had loudly exclaimed his thanks, remaining in his bowed position until he had heard a few chuckles escape from the woman. He had lifted his head up slowly to stare at her, confusion filling his thoughts. But the woman paid him no mind as she continued to chortle, the sound melodic and befitting of one such as herself. When she had finally come to a silence she had said to him that she was surprised he had bowed to her, for she had thought that he was going to be an ungrateful brat after the meal and make a break for it. Kise had felt angered that she would think such a thing and even had the gall to actually tell him! But before he could retaliate, her next words froze him into a perplexed silence. _

"_But since you're still here, I suppose that means there is some hope left for you," was what she had told him. Kise didn't know how to respond to that, feeling his entire rage fly out of him once again for her strange words that made no sense to him. She had given one last chuckle before telling him that he was free to come and eat dinner with her whenever he liked. Kise had bowed one last time before exiting the building, his thoughts clouded with what had just transpired. He had made it a few blocks before he slid against a wall and buried his head in his arms. He remembered he had almost cried that night. The events that just unfolded were relieving to him and left him grateful, and the promise of something to look forward to ignited a small sliver of hope in his chest once again. It had been years since he'd felt such a kindness. And it had been too long since he'd had a reason to live again. _

_He fell asleep on the street that night, the cold seeping into him from the residue rain. When he had woken up he had an unadulterated fear that the events of the previous night were all a dream. But the content feeling still in his stomach made the teen remember that whatever happened last night was anything but. He had stood outside of the library everyday afterwards, watching it but not brave enough to enter. He had a raging battle of hesitance snagging at his heels, preventing him from going inside the quaint building, because what if all she had told him was a lie? It was the first time he had met anyone who seemed as pure and kind as her, so the thought that something existed like her was still trying to be accepted. It took him almost a week of standing outside the library before he finally mustered up enough courage to step inside. _

_He was greeted with a warming smile and a "Good to see you again, Kise-kun." Kise didn't respond to her, suspicions still running wild in his head. After the first few times of eating with her again, he gradually became used to her kindness. But there was still the thought of her just playing a ploy that prevented him from becoming close to her. However he still didn't know if it was the suspicions, or Kise himself who didn't want to become attached. When they ate he made sure that their conversations were far from anything related to his past or present—if they even had a conversation at all that is. Kise knew that he was practically using her compassion, but he didn't know what to do. It was the first time he has experienced something of the sort and it still left him confused more often than not. All he knew was that Kohaku fed him, and food was one of the most important things to keep him alive. _

_Kise took a deep gulp of air, willing his heartbeat to slow down while he closed his eyes and rested his head against the shelf. The blonde lifted a hand and reached into his pocket. The material of his jacket was a worn and faded blue in color that had several tears and stains on it, but Kise didn't mind the ratty state his clothing was in. All that mattered was he had clothing on his back that kept him warm—well . . . at least most of the time. Kise felt his fingers come into contact with the object he had taken from the man. The material was soft and worn over the years with care, but Kise wasn't interested with that part of it. No, what the blonde teen found so captivating was what the thing held inside it. Grasping the object with dirtied fingers, Kise brought the stolen prize out and into the light, giddy with excitement as he studied it._

_The thing was a light brown, wrinkled in several places where it folded over itself. Kise placed a digit beneath one of the flaps, giving it a flip and smirked as he was met with the sight of the man's I.D. and credit cards. Kise pursed his lips as he yanked the driver's license from the pocket it resided in, eyes grazing over the information it provided with little interest. It would appear that the man he had pickpocketed from was named Zayne Esten—a foreigner no doubt from the likes of it—and was twenty-three years old. Kise skimmed over the rest of it idly, not caring much who his victim was before tossing the card on the ground listlessly. The golden-eyed child turned his gaze to the cards lined along one side of the wallet, searching for anything potentially useful. All he came up with was a few credit cards and a stamp card of some restaurant. _

_Kise clicked his tongue in distaste at the lack of anything valuable on the cards. He would be able to use the credit cards for only a while until the man managed to close the accounts on them. And even then it was risky to actually use them. The law had a way of tracking stolen credit cards, so he would only be able to use it once or twice before he had to throw it out. Kise sighed and left the cards in their place, deciding it wasn't worth the risk of using them. His eyes finally met what he had been anticipating most of all, the long fold running down the middle of the wallet which usually held the owner's cash. Kise smiled and opened the pocket, feeling happy that he was about to get his hands on genuine cash for once. It would feel amazing to buy something at the store without any repercussions instead of having to steal it and potentially die or get thrown in juvie. _

_When he opened the wallet a sense of harsh disappointment wafted over Kise as his gaze fell on an empty pocket, save for a little black booklet stuffed in it. Kise frowned and pulled the book out, turning it over to read the cover. The words were in English and even though he had trouble forming the words in his head Kise managed to read that it was a passport, the booklet having "The United States of America" plastered over it in a large font. Kise sighed and returned the book back in the pocket, feeling like he had just lost in the biggest way imaginable. How come the one guy he targeted to pickpocket had to be the one without any money on him? Kise growled to himself in frustration and punched the bookshelf behind him, the books jumping with a loud clatter from the force. _

"_Kise-kun, is that you?" a voice called from above as footsteps began sounding from the stairs. _

_Kise gave a soft curse and quickly leaned down to scoop up the discarded license, stuffing the plastic back into the wallet before shoving it into his baggy jacket once again. Kise ran his hand through his hair, trying to brush out the tangles from the run and painted a deceiving smile on his face, attempting to appear cheerful. _

"_Yeah, it's me." Came Kise's light reply, his voice only slightly shaking at the end. Kise internally winced, hoping Kohaku hadn't caught the tremor in his tone. Kise waited in his spot, listening as the footfalls of the old lady came closer till she appeared around the bend of the staircase that lead to the living quarters above. Kohaku didn't seem any different that day than any other day. Her hair was still pulled up, though this time it was in a ponytail, her bangs curled into ringlets that fell against her cheeks. She was wearing another kimono; however this one was a brilliant white in color with explosions of several colors splashed across it as flowers. Kise felt himself slightly fidget where he stood, feeling nervous as she slowly came closer. He had an unwavering fear creeping up his spine that she would find out he had been stealing despite her warning._

_The last time he had been caught she didn't feed him for almost five days, saying that bad deeds would only receive punishment. Kise hadn't talked to her for almost a week afterwards, feeling angry that she had thought she could do that to him. But in the end he still returned, knowing that she was the only one who would give him any type of solace in his cruel reality. However, despite her kind offering of food he still stole things, just without her knowing. He couldn't find it in himself to stop, especially since he didn't have to steal things to feed himself anymore and could concentrate on taking valuable things. It was better now that he didn't have the uncontainable sense of doom following his heels that constantly reminded him death was around the corner if he didn't find his next meal. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her anyways, right? _

"_You look very troubled." Kise snapped his eyes up to meet an ice blue staring back at him with a calculative gaze. The blonde felt a lump form in his throat out of anxiety, but managed to swallow it down after some difficulty. _

_Kise shuffled a step back, feeling that if he put some space between them it would create some form of a barrier that would shield him from her piercing stare. "It's nothing. I just went to the park today and a stray dog charged me." Kise lied through his teeth, not meeting her blue orbs and casted his eyes to the wooden floor. It's okay. He told himself. She didn't know what he had been up to and he'd managed to keep it a secret for this long already so now shouldn't make any difference. Kise raised his head to return Kohaku's stare with his own determined one. "It chased me for a while, but I managed to fend it off." He didn't feel any remorse as the lie rolled off his tongue almost seamlessly. _

_Kohaku was silent for a few seconds after he spoke, her gaze not wavering from his form as she narrowed her eyes a bit. Kise remained quiet as well, not brave enough to break the silence and possibly ruin his chance at escaping the scene with his secret still kept intact. Slowly the old lady nodded her head, letting out a breath of air before taking a few steps closer. _

"_It didn't hurt you did it?" she asked him gently, a hint of worry laced into the tone. Kise shifted uneasily, feeling a bit lost at her kindness once again. A sense of insecurity folded itself around him making the teen feel like rotten trash for having deceived her in such a way. But he quickly shoved it away, not liking how it made him feel weak inside. Kise shook his head in answer, not finding it in himself to say anything out loud. "Alright," Kohaku said with a strange form of sadness radiating from it, "but make sure you're more careful when you enter such places. Even the prettiest rose still has its thorns." _

_Kise nodded his head and turned away from her. "I'm going to head out." he told her, shoving his hand into his jacket to clutch at the stolen prize. A strange emotion he had never felt before squeezed at his heart, mercilessly forcing an unknown pain into his chest. It seemed as if it was eating a hole deep within his very being, consuming all that he was and driving thoughts of remorse and sadness, and pain deep into his soul. The alien feeling scared him, for he had never felt something so excruciating. He wondered what the foreign emotion was and it took him a second before the answer froze him in shock. Guilt. Guilt was what he was feeling. It was the first time something as pathetic as guilt had come across his feelings for someone else. It made him furious that he had allowed someone to create something so weak in him. Weakness didn't win in his world. Kise grit his teeth in self-disappointment. _

"_Don't wait up for me at dinner." he all but spat through his teeth, spinning on his heel to retreat through the door. But it was at that moment someone opened the entrance, letting a cool breeze filter through the stuffy building. Kise couldn't say he wasn't glad for the fresh air but when he saw just who came through the door an overwhelming sense of dread crashed down upon his shoulders. The melodic bell chime that drifted in the silence almost taunted him with its lightheartedness, the bell seeming to give a false sense of cheer despite the unfolding circumstances that were happening too fast for him to comprehend. Kise's eyes widened as he came face to face with furious grey eyes, the owner towering over him matching the physical appearance of the license's picture in the stolen wallet._

"_Now I've got you." The man heaved, his breath coming out in short gasps. Kise watched as the man—Zayne if he remembered correctly—leaned over, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "You can run pretty fast, brat. I'll give you that." Zayne spoke fluently enough to understand, though his words were thick with an accent and slurred from his breathing. It made it a little difficult to figure out what he was saying. "But now you've got nowhere else to go, so how about—"_

"_Excuse me." Kohaku interrupted abruptly, causing the man to startle since he hadn't noticed her before. "Just who are you to say such things to a young child? You have no right coming into my store and threatening someone without cause." Kise felt small standing in between the two. It was horrifying to know that the man had found him and Kohaku was trying to protect him without even knowing he had done something wrong. It was quiet as Zayne finally managed to slow his breathing, the man standing to his full height which was alarmingly tall compared to Kise's shorter stature. Kohaku didn't seem fazed in the least though. _

"_Sorry, ma'am." Zayne apologized politely with a small bow. "But this one has stolen my wallet, and I demand that he return it immediately." _

_Kise felt as if he was struck from lightning, the volts sending a strike of fear up his spine and shaking his shoulders. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was Kohaku who had turned her piercing blue stare to him, all but burning holes into his flesh at the news. Kise clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the disappointment in the air, knowing that what was about transpire wouldn't be pretty. _

"_Kise-kun," the ravenette spoke, sounding resigned, "is this true?" her voice didn't waver as she asked the question. Kise thought it was cruel of her to ask such a thing when she already knew the answer to it. Maybe she just wanted him to face the fact that he had done something wrong. And saying it out loud was the first step to acknowledging it. But Kise didn't care that he had stolen, it was who he was after all. And he wasn't about to change just because she was there._

"_Yes." Was all he said in reply, glaring up at the man before him with loathing. The man's gaze faltered in intensity as he stared into Kise's golden orbs of fury, finding that the look in his eyes was something too old to be a child's. Kise didn't care though, giving a sneer at the man before whipping his head around to face Kohaku. "Yeah," he spat out heatedly, "so what?" Kise didn't like how he felt cornered with no place to run. It wasn't a good situation to be in and always ended with him hurting in some way. So Kise threw away all form of rationality, instead relying on his instincts to get him out of the circumstances. It's kept him alive so far. Besides, animals that were cornered tended to snap back anyways. "It didn't have anything good in it anyhow. I was planning on throwing it out before he came." Kise jammed a finger into Zayne's direction with vigor, internally blaming him for the whole mess. _

_Kohaku let out a sigh, bringing a hand up to rub tiredly at the bridge of her nose. "Give it back to him Kise-kun." Kise shuffled on his feet, anger coursing through his veins at her words. Just who was she to tell him what to do?! Kise narrowed his eyes in rage but dug his hand in his pocket nonetheless, a growl escaping his lips. Knowing Kohaku, arguing would be pointless and would only cause more hassle than what it was worth for the damn wallet. Kise spun on his heel and stomped up to the foreign man, a death glare with searing intensity present on his expression. He shoved the worn wallet into Zayne's awaiting hand and scoffed, not liking how he felt defeated. Kise glanced over his shoulder at Kohaku, silently challenging her to say anything. But the women didn't falter despite his glare, opening her mouth to say, "Good. Now, apologize." _

_Kise choked on his spit, his eyes widening in bewilderment. Apologize?! To him?! Just what was going through that senile old lady's head?! Kise gaped like a fish for a few seconds, not believing what he had just heard. Did she actually believe that he would stoop so low as to __**apologize**_ _to someone? Never in his life had Kise been sorry for anything. Everything he did was with purpose. Stealing the man's wallet was a chance to get himself some cash; what was so wrong with that? If Kise were to apologize—and that was a __**huge **__if—then he most definitely wouldn't give it to the man who had ruined his whole chance. Not only did Zayne's wallet have cobwebs in it, but he also managed to track him down successfully which lead to the ordeal he was now stuck in. Kise would much rather burn the wallet and watch the guy's morbid expression than anything else. _

"_I'm not apologizing to him!" Kise seethed in fury. "I don't give a damn about what I did! So, I stole his shitty wallet. So what?! It's not like I fucking murdered him!" Kise didn't understand why she would make him do such a thing. People who thought they could control him made Kise's anger bubble like a boiling volcano with magma threatening to spew out the top. He didn't have to listen to her. "I didn't even take anything from the wallet. I shouldn't have to apologize!" Kise fumed with his voice bordering on yelling._

_Kohaku's expression contorted into a deeper frown, wrinkles becoming more distinguished on her aged face and her blue orbs hardening to stones. "I do not tolerate your behavior, young man." Although her voice was stern, she did not yell or raise her tone in the slightest. Kise was caught off guard from her restraint, not used to people who didn't yell at him when they were angry. "You have done something wrong. And the only way you can change that is if you apologize to him right now for your terrible actions." _

_Kise let out a snarl at her persistence, his body trembling in vehemence. "I won't! You aren't my parent! I don't have to do as you say!" Kise fists clenched as he screamed out the words, feeling confused that she wouldn't give in already. Why was she trying so hard for him? It didn't make any sense. Didn't his refusal to submit mean anything to her? He wasn't going to do what she demanded of him, ever. "My parents died a long time ago!" Kise froze as soon as the words left his lips, his eyes widening when he realized what he had told her. It was the first time he had said anything about his family—or lack thereof. Kise knew that Kohaku had her suspicions about him not having a home or anyone to rely on. But now he had just given her the most precious information about his circumstances. She had the ability to send him to an orphanage now. Kise choked back a sob at the thought. _

"_I-I'm just going to leave." A cautious voice spoke up from the silence, startling Kise. Kise didn't turn to watch as the bell above the door chimed, sounding the leave of Zayne who probably wouldn't be seen by any of them again. _

_Kise's head was bowed, eyes on the floor to escape from the sight of what he would see before him. He heard Kohaku sigh in front of him, and Kise felt himself shrink when her footsteps rang in the air, bringing the woman closer to him. He didn't move—or more like couldn't. His feet were frozen solid to the floor, averting him from fleeing the discussion he had feared the most and wished had never been brought up. It frightened as to what she would ask of him, what she wanted to know about his past. What it would mean for him to try and remember the life he had strained to forget but never seemed to go away. It left him shaken and weak, his defenses bending beneath the weight of his agony. And then something flashed inside Kise, giving him a clear view of his emotions. It wasn't Kohaku he was scared of; it was he himself. He was terrified of what he would find if he were to release all his troubles out loud._

_Kise heard himself sniff, subconsciously allowing tears to leak from his eyes. He rubbed at them angrily; mad at himself for showing such weakness in front of another. He felt something touch him on his head and the teen flinched back harshly, closing his eyes at the feeling. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that it was Kohaku's hand that had fallen upon his head gently again, caressing his dirtied strands of blonde in nimble fingers. Kise whimpered at the touch, the sound escaping him unwillingly. _

"_Sshh, Kise-kun." Kohaku's sweet voice filtered through his ears softly. "I know it's painful. The life you have lived is not one that should have been condemned to a child as young as you. You have faced many difficulties at such an early stage, and yet are still so bright." Her other hand lifted beneath his chin, raising his head tenderly so their eyes met. "Despite being forced to grow up before your time, and travel through a harsh life, you have shown the world that you still have a fighting spirit. And that Kise-kun," she wiped a few of his stray tears away, the liquid leaving trails of wetness on his cheeks, "is what makes you so strong." _

_A small cry left his lips at her words. The will holding back his tears breaking and allowing the salty water to flood from his golden eyes and stream down his face. Kise sniffed and plunged his head into her bosom, closing his eyes as he wailed in pain. It hurt too much. The pain and sadness swallowing his heart and scattering his emotions, the loneliness and forgetfulness drowning out his thoughts and leaving him broke, even the mourning of something that was taken away and the yearning of something he knew he couldn't have was all a burden too heavy to bear. Kise didn't know how to hold it in anymore. He was angry—angry that whatever was out there hated him enough to force him to live a life of hardships, the solitude accompanying it the worst to face. He was scared and always left wondering if he would survive to see the next day. And he was confused, not ever knowing how he was supposed to make it or persevere in this hellhole. _

_But most of all, he missed his old life before it all crashed and went to hell. He missed his family and the warmth of seeing them every day. It had been so long since he'd seen them, their lives taken from him with him unable to do anything about it. He didn't remember what his parents looked like. His mother's smile having slipped from his fingers and his dad's heartwarming laugh clouded into nothing. He often wondered what it would be like if he were to wake up one day and see the grinning face of his mother, realizing that the hell he had been living in was only a nightmare. But sometimes he thought about what it would feel like if he were to give up, and leave the world permanently. Maybe then he would see his parents up in a better place and finally be able to escape this cruel reality._

_Everything inside of him hurt __**so much **__. . . _

_Kise's cries eventually turned into soft whimpers, his chest heaving as he tried to recover from his wails. Kohaku's fingers ran through his hair, soothing him as she closely held him to her body. Kise felt reassured of her presence so near, like she was soaking up all his anguish and leaving him free from his pain. He was once again grateful for her. He didn't know what he would have done if he didn't have her there with him in his greatest time of need. Kise clutched his hands tighter, fisting up her kimono in his grasp as he clung to her. His whimpers stilled and his breathing quieted, the only thing audible being the hushed voice of Kohaku as she whispered soft words of reassurance. _

"_It's alright." Kohaku spoke quietly while rubbing circles on his back. "I don't think I can tell you everything that you need to hear Kise. But just know . . . I'm always here to listen to you when you are in need." _

* * *

Kuroko stood silently as Kise took in a deep breath, his hand near his mouth as he bit at his knuckles. The blonde was trying desperately to reign in all his swarming emotions, the thoughts running in his head leading through his darker times in life.

"After that, I told her about my past. How I became an orphan at age nine and had been living on the streets ever since." Kise said his voice thick with emotions too muddled to differentiate. "When I was done she had asked me if I wanted to live with her. And if I remember right, I think I agreed almost immediately. I remember feeling so overjoyed at the thought of living with someone who would take care of me again that I answered without thinking. But I guess what little kid wouldn't, right?" Kise chuckled to himself. Kuroko didn't say anything as usual but Kise kind of felt grateful for that. He wasn't sure he could continue if the bluenette decided to ask questions or anything. His silence was only encouraging Kise to fill the void with words; he never liked the quiet anyways.

"So I moved in with her, got enrolled in school, and even made a few friends—though they weren't exactly the best people to hang out with, but I never complained. I was just glad to have someone my age to talk to." a moment of silence drifted by, Kise lost in his thoughts as he sunk deeper into his past. "All went well for a couple of years. Kohaku had become something akin to a mother figure for me, filling the hole I had since my real mother died and I couldn't be any happier. But I guess it was too soon for me to relax. Maybe if I hadn't felt so attached to my new life then I wouldn't have been left so broken after shit hit the fan."

* * *

_Kise grit his teeth and pedaled as fast as the bike would go, desperate to arrive at his destination. Street signs and people flew along the sides of him as he traveled on the sidewalk, the air crisp as he took in heaping breaths of oxygen to still his panic. His phone was still clutched in his hand, the device being crushed in his palm as he held onto the handle bars to steady himself. Kise called out a few apologies as he cut in front of some people, their annoyed voices fading as he pedaled further away. _

_It wasn't a very long ride to where he was desperate to go. It took only fifteen minutes but to Kise it felt as if the whole world could have frozen over before he made it to the parking lot. He cycled up to the front entrance, jumping off the wheels and not bothering to chain the bike up. The piece of metal wobbled on its wheels before tumbling over on its side, the clatter already too far away for Kise to hear as he had made it through the doors. His sneaker clad feet slid on the floor, the glossy aluminum too slick for his shoes to get a grip on but the fifteen-year-old paid it no heed as his head swerved around to find the receptionist's desk. He probably looked like a mad man, with his hair and clothes being tousled from the ride and his pupils shrunk to the point where one could barely see them. It didn't seem important to him though, as the teen quickly rushed over to the woman at the desk when he spotted her. _

_He slammed his hands down on the wood, startling her from her work, but Kise couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment. "Yumi!" he all but yelled frantically, catching the attention of all the people in the waiting room around him. "Kohaku Yumi! I need to see her!" _

"_C-Calm down, sir." The woman stuttered, her eyes blinking up at him as he let out a breath of air and ran a hand through his hair messing the strands up even more. "You said the name was Kohaku?" there was silence as a few clicks rang in the air from her mouse. Kise held his breath, internally wishing that she would hurry the hell up but refrained from saying it out loud. "Ah, looks like she's in room 249—third floor-" _

_Kise didn't stay around long enough to hear the rest of what she had to say, instead whipping around to sprint towards the nearest staircase. He quickly collided with the door leading into the stairway, the metal bashing into the side of the wall creating a loud bang that reverberate in the tall, empty room. Kise grabbed at the stair railing and ran up the stairs, taking them two or three at a time. His breath heaved from his lips and his blood pumped in his ears but Kise didn't have time to concentrate on how his lungs were burning and his muscles were quivering from the strain. He didn't slow down even when he burst into the halls of the third floor, his eyes searching wildly as he sought out the number the woman had told him. It took a few turns but the blonde eventually came across the appropriate room with the labeled number. Kise hurriedly sprinted into the room, the courtesy of knocking completely flying from his thoughts. _

_The blonde teen skidded to a stop in the middle of the white room, finding the lack of colors to be harsh on his eyes. He clenched his phone in his hands, his lungs finally feeling like they would burst and give out and his muscles shaking from the endeavor of arriving there. The room was almost completely bare, save for the large bed in the center and a man in a lab coat standing next to it. Kise's eyes dismissed the way the man jumped in surprised, the noise of the door hitting the wall having caught him off guard, and immediately zeroed in on the frail woman lying beneath the covers of the medical bed._

_Her eyes were closed, the skin around it pulled as her brows furrowed, most likely in pain. Her hair was strewn across the pillows in a tangled mess, the gray becoming lost in the sea of black. Her expression was tight, her lips thin and the color in her cheeks pale. A nasal cannula tube hooked behind her ears and was placed inside her nasal cavities to provide oxygen for her. An IV needle was stuck into the bend of her elbow, the clear plastic connected to a drip that contained some type of transparent fluid. Several other cords and lines hooked her up to different machines, each one looking more confusing than the last. Her skin was a sickly pale, and the color around her eyes was deep purple that contrasted deeply with the rest of her pastel flesh. She was dressed in a plain white hospital gown, the cloth patterned with a crisscross of squares in blue. Kise almost fell to his knees at the despairing sight. _

"_Ah, I'm sorry," If the voice hadn't been so deep then he was sure the sound would have bypassed his numb ears. Kise glanced over to the doctor who had moved to stand a few feet away from him. "But only immediate family members are allowed to see the patient right now." The man was in his younger years, probably no older than his early thirties. His light brown hair was slicked back out of his eyes which allowed him to see the bright color of his gray orbs. The name tag present on his coat enabled Kise to read that his name was Hayate._

_Kise stood up straighter, his height effortlessly towering a few inches over the man's shorter frame. "She's my mom." Kise spoke, his expression darkening in challenge at the other, daring him to try and object over his claim. The man shuffled, his face flashing in confusion at what he said. Kise didn't blame him though. The age gap between him and Kohaku permitted that he could easily be her grandchild. The prospect of him being her child was hard to believe. But Hayate just shook his head, as if clearing his doubtful thoughts and instead nodded at him, accepting his statement for the time being. _

"_Alright, I'm sure you would like to know what happened to Kohaku-san then." Kise nodded his head in answer despite it not being a question. The teen let out a breath of air as he looked at his mother again, studying the small beeps of the EKG monitor beside her bed. _

"_I got here as soon as I got the call." He lifted his hand up showing the doctor the phone that was still tightly gripped in his palm. He was somewhat surprised the cellphone hadn't broken or at least cracked along his frenzied dash to the hospital. "They didn't tell me much but I think it was more of because I had hung up before they could finish so I could get here quicker." Hayate nodded his head in understanding, probably believing him more on the claim that he was Kohaku's family since they were the firsts ones notified if something important like this happened. _

_The brunette sighed, looking down at the clipboard held in his hands. "Well, Kohaku-san has just gone through cardiac arrest at promptly 11:24 this morning. She was brought here soon after and we immediately began assessing any possible problems that could have been the cause to her sudden attack." The doctor flipped a page on his clipboard, his eyes skimming the paper quickly before looking back up at Kise. "For now, I have reason to believe that her cardiac failure may be an indication to coronary artery disease. But I can't be too sure until I have officially run a diagnostic on her." _

_Kise's eyes widened at the news. Coronary artery disease? What the hell?! "W-What do you mean she has that?! Kohaku is the healthiest old woman I know! There's no way she would have something as bad as CAD!" Kise's heart felt like it was being squeezed to death, the information making his thoughts run wild with all the worst-case scenarios. _

"_It's probably not as bad as you think." Hayate said swiftly cutting off Kise's traumatized thoughts. Kise stared at the man with narrowed eyes, not liking how lightly he said that. Just what did he mean by that? Kohaku could easily be near Death's door and this guy had the audacity to look like it was a simple conversation about the weather?! Kise's face took on an immediate expression that all but demanded for the doctor to explain. "What I mean is," the doctor didn't seem fazed by Kise's glare, "we receive several patients a year with this type of diagnostic. It's fairly easy to prevent and most people have a high success rate of diminishing the causes and effects for CAD. You need not worry," Hayate smiled encouragingly and placed a hand on Kise's shoulder, "Kohaku-san is in good hands and should make a full recovery regardless." _

_Kise didn't know what to say to that. _

_The next few days involved Kohaku going through several tests so the doctors could get a read on just what was going on with his mother-figure. He was drowning in anxiety throughout the ordeal, not liking the way an unsettling dread seemed to coil in his stomach. The doctor had given him a summary of what was happening to Kohaku, using terms and words that made almost no sense to his young mind. But he had a decent grasp of the situation and was able to follow along well enough. Hayate had told him that Kohaku had a family history of CAD, the disease having killed off most of her family already. Kise had frown at that information. Kohaku didn't tell him much about her life before she opened up the library and settled down. Had he known she was in such a high risk for CAD then he would have stopped her from smoking the first week he moved in with her. _

_The doctor told him that Kohaku had severe stress levels which were part of the cause for her diminishing health. Kise didn't like the thought of Kohaku having been overly stressed. He knew that most of it probably came from him. Despite having been taken in by her and given a home, Kise still wasn't the best child in the world. If it wasn't his stubbornness and shitty attitude then it was the fact that he came home almost every other day with some sort of injury. His time spent at school usually ended up in brawl after classes with the school bullies. It wasn't like Kise asked for them to meddle with his personal life but when they overstepped their boundaries Kise couldn't find it in himself to refrain from punching the nearest asshole. No one else had the guts to teach them their lessons and Kise was more than happy to oblige. Kohaku always chastised him for his rash behavior, but he ignored it more often than not._

_After they had officially diagnosed her with coronary artery disease, they led Kise into her room so that they could discuss her surgical options. It was the first time he was actually able to see Kohaku since all the other times he had gone to her room she was either gone or asleep. He had immediately rushed into her awaiting arms and clutched her tightly to himself. He felt relieved to see her smiling at him again even though she was obviously in pain. When they had settled down, Hayate had explained that Kohaku would undergo a procedure called coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). They would perform an open heart operation, taking a vein from the thigh and transplanting it into the heart to create a new route for blood to pass through the heart. It was a procedure that the surgeons knew rather well so the whole bypass surgery shouldn't take them no more than a few hours. _

_Kise was probably the one who worried the most out of the two of them. Kohaku had laughed at him lightly and teased him about it. Kise had chuckled with her to try and release the tension in the air but he couldn't stop the slight shaking in his hands no matter how hard he tried. _

_The next day they prepared her for surgery and Kise had stayed by her side until they gave her a sedative, the anesthesia quickly putting her to sleep. He had sat in the waiting room; his chest feeling like it was being strangled with wire despite his hammering heartbeat. He had let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding when Hayate came to give him the news that Kohaku had successfully made it through surgery and was in the recovery room. He was only allowed to see her for a few minutes, since she was still recuperating from the lingering effects of the sedation. But Kise was just glad to see her moving around—however groggily that may have been—and __**alive**__. _

_It was approximately an hour later when she was moved again to the ICU and was almost fully alert. Kise had spent every day with her after that, hightailing on his bike after school so that he could be there. Kohaku had thanked him gratefully for his continuous presence, telling him his bright eyes and exuberant laugh made the bland room seem livelier. Kise could only smile shyly at that. _

_A few days later was met with Kise strolling out of the hospital, leading a much relived Kohaku into the outside. She smiled when the sun hit her face, taking in a huge breath of the summer air and releasing it with her eyes closed. "Gosh, how I missed this. I will never take the sun's pleasant warmth for granted again." Kise glanced over at the aged woman, watching as she became completely relaxed under the sun's light. Her skin had finally acquired a rosy hue to it, no longer looking pale and sickly. Her eyes were bright and the bags beneath them seemed to be disappearing with time. Despite the bandages that wrapped around her in certain areas, Kohaku looked better than what he had seen her in a long while. He smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling like all was right in the world again. _

* * *

"I was a complete _idiot _to think that my life would continue like that. I should have known better than to believe that my luck had finally decided to take a turn for the positive—that nothing else could possibly happen and most of my hardships had come to an end." Kise snorted at himself, turning his head away so that the bluenette next to him couldn't see the self-loathing written on his face. The next memory flashed across his eyes. He could still remember it clearly, as if it were yesterday. Kise's eyes trailed down to look at his hands. "It was a few weeks after her surgery when it happened." Kise's throat felt like it was closing up, the muscles straining as they tried to collapse in on themselves so he wouldn't have to speak anymore. Kise internally wished they would, hoping that anything would happen so he didn't have to go on.

"More specifically, it was the anniversary of the day she had taken me in. I was going to surprise her with a gift in thanks of everything she had done for me over the years. Perhaps the events that played out that day were just a sick form of punishment for all the wrongs that I had done."

* * *

_Kise couldn't keep the smile from curling at the edges of his lips as he tiptoed up the steps that led into the library serving as his home. His eyes peered inside of the building through the glass windows, looking for any signs of the one he was trying to remain hidden from. He waited for a few seconds, happily noticing that the woman was absent from the bottom part of the library and no customers were in sight either. Turning the handle of one of the double doors, Kise slowly opened it up, hoping that the bell above wouldn't chime loud enough to attract attention. When the gap was big enough Kise squeezed inside and closed the door behind him softly. _

_It was a perfect day in his mind. The sun was shining and no clouds were in sight on the rather warm summer day. Birds filled the air with their cheery chirps and songs, laying out a tune that could brighten even the gloomiest person's day. Kise was glad for this kind of atmosphere. It just made the whole occasion that much better, especially since it was the day that he was going to surprise Kohaku with a gift. It was on this day two years ago that she had asked him to stay with her, and it was two years ago that she had given him something to live for. Kise didn't think the gift would be enough to show how thankful he was for her kind actions but it showed more than what he would be able to say with words. _

_Kise looked down at the small box in his hands, the package enveloped carefully with blue wrapping paper. It was a simple gift, not overly expensive or eye-catching. The blue paper was decorated with white lines that made a zig-zag pattern and the top had a white ribbon neatly tied into a bow. It wasn't very big in size, barely covering up his palm if held in his hand. But he wasn't too nervous about the size; he knew Kohaku wouldn't care how big or expensive the gift was. What really worried him though was whether or not his mother-figure would like the object within at all. He had struggled for a while trying to decide on the present, and had saved up on money to buy it for her once he chose. He wanted to think that he had put a lot of thought into what he should get her, but it was Kohaku's decision in the end if he picked the right thing. _

_Kise kept his hands behind his back as he carefully made his way up the stairs near the back of the room to head towards the living quarters in the library. He made sure to keep his steps light so that the old wood of the staircase wouldn't give out its usual creeks, gradually ascending up the slightly spiraled stairs. He held his breath as he came closer to the entrance of the living room, seeing through the crack in the door that the room was bathed in sunlight most probably from the open windows. Kise's face turned giddy as he tried to contain the smile attempting to split his face in two and grasped his hand over the doorknob, resting there for a few seconds to hear if Kohaku had noticed his presence yet. When he was met with silence, Kise quickly burst into the room, closing his eyes and raising the gift into the air with an exclamation of, "Happy Anniversary!"_

_Total silence. _

_Kise's eyebrows furrowed when no sounds came from the house after a few seconds, opening his eyes to peer around in confusion at the lack of greeting. Kise's hands lowered down to his sides as he traveled further into the living space, glancing around into the different rooms. His thoughts were clouded with reasons as to why she didn't answer. Maybe she had left without telling him, going to the store for their monthly groceries? Or perhaps she had fallen asleep again since she was still recovering from her surgery? Kise didn't know what to think as he walked around the house, searching for Kohaku and calling her name several times. He was about to leave and come back again when he stepped in something wet, the liquid splashing against his worn sneakers and covering the sides. Kise looked down only to have his breath catch harshly in his throat, his eyes widening as he let out a screech and tumbled back, the present falling out of his grasp. _

_There on the ground before him was a puddle of thick, dark __**blood**__. Kise felt terrified as he stood there, not knowing how to move as his eyes stared at the splatters of blood all over the wooden floor. He slowly looked beyond the mass of red fluids and gasped in terror when his gold orbs fell upon the hand of a person, their arm covered by a white kimono smeared with blotches of blood. Kise's legs began to roughly shake, and despite his mind desperately ordering them not to they slowly began moving forward. Each step felt like he was encased in ice, the weight dragging him down as he inched closer to the body lying obscured behind the wall. His breath hitched in despair when his feet came a few inches from the fallen hand, now able to see the bloody mess of the person on the floor. _

_Kise fell to his knees, feeling like something had just slammed against his shoulders, forcing him to the floor to burden the weight. Kise's eyes widened the color dulling as he gazed upon the broken figure of Kohaku. She was clad in her usual attire, the kimono a stark white with several bright colors threaded into it. But it was no longer clean, the white cloth now stained with patches of dark blood from where it soaked in the puddles on the floor. Her hair was still pulled up though it was in disarray, the strands clumped together with her dried blood and falling in a mess around her. She lay on her side, her upper body being held by the slumped form of her shoulders and allowing Kise to have a perfect view of her face. _

_Her pale face was almost as white as her kimono, and was streaked with smears of blood that covered her cheeks and chin. A pool of her blood formed beneath her head, the substance now starting to soak into Kise's pants but he didn't seem to notice it. Her blue eyes no longer held the shine they once had, now dull and dark as the light had left long ago. They were wide open, staring at him and piercing him with their emptiness. Kise felt himself shudder at the sight, not liking how they appeared to see into his very soul. Kise looked away, turning his head and knowing that what lay before him now was no longer the kind, loving woman he once knew. All that remained was a cold, empty shell of what was. _

_Kise gritted his teeth, feeling like the bones would break under the pressure but he didn't care, the pain was nothing compared to the mental agony he was experiencing. Why was it that everyone he cared for always seemed to die? Anyone he has ever gotten close to always came to an undeserving demise, and Kise was left to wonder if this was the cruel fate he would forever be forced to live with. Why did it have to be him? Kise's eyes fell onto Kohaku's body. Why did it have to be her? Why did this overly kind, thoughtful, and caring woman have to be the one to suffer from the curse that befell Kise?! Kohaku didn't deserve to die! She was too pure of a person to have been dealt with such an agonizing death. Why did she have to die because of him?! _

_Something deep within him broke, the crack reverberating through his skull. Kise felt a scream erupt from his throat, the pain too much for him to handle anymore. He bent over, his clenched fists hitting the ground repeatedly as he hunched over and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall over his cheeks. Kise mentally willed them away, internally struggling with the loss of the one good thing in his life. He wouldn't cry. Not this time. Crying was like admitting defeat, and Kise would be damned if he were to cry over Kohaku's death. He knew that if he allowed the first tear to fall, then he wouldn't be able to keep the dam from breaking. Kise would turn into a wallowing mess of self-loathing and he would never forgive himself. And if that happened, he didn't know if he would be able to live on anymore. Kise had to be strong—he had to forget. _

_Kise's breath slowed, the teen gently sitting up to stare down at the heap of his once mother-figure with dull eyes. If he hadn't decided to be selfish and force his way into Kohaku's life then maybe she could have lived. If he hadn't taken all of her kindness to heart then maybe he could have turned his back on her more easily and left before anything could have happened. But he was too late to see the truth of what his presence was doing to her, too __**stupid**__. And now, because of him—because he __**cared**__, Kohaku has died. And Kise couldn't do anything else but stare. He knew this would happen—it always does—yet he ignored it and tried to believe that this time it would be different—that there might actually be a __**chance**__ for him to find happiness. But he should have known better. Now all he has left is the pain of the void Kohaku once filled, and the knowledge that it was all his __**fault**__. _

_Kise blinked his eyes open in realization, a thought coming to the surface of his mind, one that he had kept locked away in fear of what it would turn him into. But now that he gazed upon it once again, the idea of it didn't seem as appalling as it once had. Kise forced himself to look at the heart-clenching view of Kohaku again, despite his heart raging at him for the pain filled image. From now on, there was only one way to stop innocent people from facing their deaths early because of Kise, one that certainly placed Kise on a path of loneliness but at least it kept everyone safe from his curse. Kise decided then that he would never care for another again._

_The autopsy told that Kohaku had died from a heart attack, slowly dying from suffocation as blood spewed from her mouth and her heart seized to beat. Kise thought it was a rather low way for someone like her to die. Kohaku deserved to pass peacefully in her sleep, knowing that she had lived her life to the fullest. But there was no chance of that happening anymore. _

_There was no funeral for her. A simple gravestone marked the plot that Kohaku's body resided in and Kise visited it once. He had placed a small vase on the stone, the insides spilling with cyclamen, poppy, and purple hyacinth flowers. He had said his goodbye and then left, never turning around again. Since he wasn't of legal age, Kise wasn't able to take over the library and was forced out onto the streets lest he would be thrown into an orphanage. The weeks after Kohaku's death Kise still attended school, though now it was more of a nuisance than anything else, but he was glad for the distraction and buried his head into the extra work he asked for. _

_The bullies were worse than usual but Kise couldn't muster enough energy to retaliate to everything they did, but if they managed to set him off Kise made sure to leave them all in a bloody mess. It was almost one month later when the world found Kise standing tall above a high cliff, waves of the ocean crashing against the rocks below._

_Kise stood still, his eyes closed as he listened to the thunder in the distance and breathed in the slightly salty air of the water. The sky was gray, thick with ugly dark clouds that threatened to pour rain over the land any second. The waves of the ocean were rough as they collided against one another and the rocky cliff beneath Kise's feet. Kise sighed and opened his eyes, staring out into the horizon. He came here to finalize his decision once and for all—on whether or not he would walk his path alone. He glanced down at his hands, studying the small box he held. It was wrapped in blue and decorated with a white bow and stripes. More than half of it was painted over with a dark crimson from when it had fallen into a puddle of blood. It was the gift he was supposed to present to Kohaku. Kise's mind was numb as he studied it, noticing the wrapping was torn in a few places and showing the cardboard under it. _

_It no longer troubled his mind when he thought of the old woman who had taken him in, she was a memory of his past now. It wouldn't be long now before he would eventually forget about her and move on with his life. But the gift in his hand was something that was holding him back. He wouldn't be able to continue living life in the now if he was still struggling to let go of his past. Kise clutched the gift closer to him, not knowing if he would be able to let go of the one thing that was all he had left of the woman who cared for him. But this symbolic present that was meant for her was keeping his feet plastered tightly to the ground, and he wouldn't be able to take a step forward unless he let it go. So he decided to come down to the cliffs that lined the coasts to send the gift into the roaring waves of the ocean to have it take the lingering pain away for good. Kise held his breath and held his hand out, hesitating for a few seconds before shaking his head and loosening his fingers on the box. _

_A racket of boisterous laughter erupted through the tree line, the noise so loud that it was easily overheard above the quakes of the thunder. Kise paused, listening intently when his ears picked up the snide voices of familiar people. He would know their unruly clamor anywhere but why were they at the cliffs? Kise glanced at the gift before making an irrational decision and stuffing it into his red sweatshirt, the box being swallowed by the loose clothing. The blond teen turned on his heels and trudged through the grass, following the carved path for tourists and heading towards the laughter of his school bullies. He mentally told himself he was going to see what was going on purely out of curiosity, but internally he knew that he was just trying to stall time before he had to officially throw away the memory of Kohaku._

_Kise traveled down the beaten path, the ground eventually turning into concrete as he made his way down the slope of the cliff. He knew that a small park resided near the bottom the cliff. It wasn't very popular but he had heard stories that it was the favorite place for the ragtag team of bullies to hang out around. Kise huffed at the thought, wondering why the annoying band of jackasses always seemed to get in his way of everything. Kise slowly made his way towards them, keeping behind the coverage of the trees once they came into view. He only wanted to see what they were doing after all and confronting them about it face to face would be a bad choice since they would most likely want to kick his ass at first glance. Kise smirked, 'as if they could.'_

_His smirk was immediately ripped from his face once he saw just what their reason for being there was. His eyes narrowed at the sight of a small, helpless kitten buried to the neck in one of the little sandboxes. Its fur was standing on end with its pupils shrunk into small points of fear. It meowed it terror when a small rock landed next to its face, the stone only inches away from hitting it. Kise internally cursed when his eyes landed on the taunting smiles of the gang who were standing further away, each of them laughing and making fun of each other for missing the feline. Kise watched as their leader, Keiji, whipped his arm forward to launch a stone at the kitten again, this one landing even closer than before. The cat gave another heart piercing mew. _

_Just what the hell were those fucking idiots doing?! Kise felt anger starting to boil in his stomach, the feeling making him burn in rage. Throwing stones at a helpless kitten as a game?! Did they think that was some sort of sick joke?! Kise clenched his fist and before he knew what he was doing his feet were already leading him out into the open. He caught the stone that was aimed at the cat, standing in front of the little feline and blocking the teens from throwing another at it. He was met with shocked and surprised faces, most of them not expecting Kise to appear out of nowhere—hell __**Kise**__ didn't expect himself to do that either. Wasn't he supposed to not care about others anymore? 'Well, that doesn't mean I have to let them suffer when I can do something about it,'_ _Kise thought furiously. 'I'm done watching others suffer because of me.' _

"_What the fuck do you think you're doin'?!" one of the five teens yelled out—Nerubi, if he remembered correctly. _

"_I could ask you the same thing." Kise called out across the field, tossing the stone on the ground lethargically and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Does it make you feel better when you pick on small kittens? It's a good thing you got it buried. I'm pretty sure it would have whipped all your asses by now." Kise couldn't help the snort of laughter at his own words. _

_Keiji took a step forward, raising his head in challenge over the distance between them. "We would be more than happy to replace it with you. I'm sick of your haughty attitude all the time at school. It's about time we show you what it means to mess with us, and now there aren't any teachers around to stop us from beating your ass into the ground!" everyone behind him gave nods of their heads, agreeing to their leader's threat._

_Kise placed his hands over his heart, his expression turning into one of mock fear. "Oh, no, whatever shall I do?!" he squeaked out in a higher octave than usual. Kise snorted at the enraged faces he was met with. "Look," he began, trying not roll his eyes but failing, "how about I just take the cat and leave instead of kicking all of you bastards into the dirt. That way none of you will get hurt and at least some of your pride will stay intact. Although I don't know how much you all have left considering you were torturing a __**kitten **__of all things." _

"_That's it!" Keiji yelled and barreled towards him, the rest following suit. Kise widened his stance and gave a taunting "come-hither" look to them as he raised his hands into a fighting pose. He couldn't keep the smirk from surfacing on his features, finding that the whole situation was quite laughable. These guys had fought him numerous times, and every single one of their battles ended with him victorious; just because there was a change in scene meant nothing in their favor. Kise got ready to receive the first attack from Nerubi but he was startled into shock he saw the other pull out a knife from beneath his jacket. He almost didn't dodge in time to miss the slash directed towards his chest, and the blade nicked him in the arm. Kise felt blood starting to trickle from the small cut but he paid it no mind as he danced out of the way from the other knife attacks._

_The others quickly caught up to their fastest member and Kise swiftly found out that it would take a miracle for him to make it out alive in this clash. Each member sported a knife of their own, and Kise—who only had his fists as his weapons—knew that he was going to be fighting a losing battle. He cursed when he ducked beneath a blade aiming for his head and barely managed to spin to the right to avoid a stab at his thigh. It didn't help either that he was extremely outnumbered, and that time seemed to be fighting against him as well. He knew that the longer this fight carried on the quicker he'll tire out, and then it would be easy for one of them to sink their blade into him. _

_Kise blocked a swing aimed at his face, his hand latching onto their wrist and then pulling him over his head as he turned to slam them against the ground. Kise grinned when he noticed it was Keiji who he had just thrown but the victory quickly disappeared when he saw a blink of silver out of the corner of his eye. Kise jerked back, trying desperately to move out of range of the knife but he internally frowned when he determined himself too slow to dodge the blade in time. Kise let out a grunt when the blade from one of them pierced his shoulder, the weapon digging deep beneath his collar bone. Kise let out a yell in pain and grabbed furiously at whoever stabbed him, punching the guy in the face before spinning around him and elbowing him in the back of his neck with his good arm. The guy dropped like a rock, and Kise struggled back a few step, his gaze meeting several others who stood on the other side of their unconscious comrade. _

_It was a brief pause in action but it gave Kise enough time to quickly decide that now was probably a good time as any to turn and run. Kise moved to do just that, holding his shoulder protectively as he turned around to dart off into the trees. He didn't even make it two steps before an unhinged pain seared up the back of his leg. Kise screamed in agony and tripped, falling face first into the ground and scuffing himself up in several areas. Kise gritted his teeth and looked behind him to see the handle of a knife sticking out of the back of his knee. He wouldn't be able to run now, and pulling it out would cause a river a blood to pour from his injury. Kise internally screamed in rage and forced himself up on his hand and knee, the other limbs useless as they twang in pain._

"_Look at who's helpless now, hmm?" Keiji sneered from above him. Kise glanced up at the teen, his eyes burning with an unadulterated rage. Keiji clicked his tongue in distaste and promptly swung his leg back to kick him in the side. A small cry unwillingly left Kise's lips as he fell onto his back. The view of the dark sky became covered as the gang's leader knelt above him, the ravenette's hands fisting into his shirt. "It's our turn to return the favor of you always beating us." Kise managed a small grin, his hand slowly moving upwards so they all could see his raised middle finger. Kise didn't have enough time to laugh at their enraged faces before a fist slammed into his face. _

_Kise didn't know how long they beat him, but he knew that he probably wasn't recognizable when they were done and left him for dead. His body thrummed with waves of pain all over, his skin being littered with blackening bruises and deep cuts. Kise's chest shakily rose with each painful breath of oxygen, his ribs having been broken in several places. His face felt numb and he was pretty sure one of them had the balls to gut him in the stomach with a knife. It was hard to think and his head felt woozy from loss of blood. He knew he was probably not going to live for much longer. Already it was an effort to keep his eyelids from closing and just succumb to the claws of death. Kise haggardly sighed and watched the clouds move above him. A sudden small sound to his right alerted him of the presence of the young kitten. _

_Kise turned his gaze to peer tiredly at the orange cat, the feline having travelled close enough for him to see it without moving. "Heh, looks like you were able to dig yourself out, huh little guy?" Kise forced out, his voice cracking at the end. The cat made no sound, just stared at him with bright, unblinking eyes. Kise slowly raised his hand out towards the kitten, wincing a little at the strike of pain flashing through him. He allowed the kitten to give his fingers a few sniffs before reaching out to pet it. The cat gave a sudden hiss and Kise couldn't react in time before the little feline had raked its claws across his hand, turning tail then running off. Kise sighed then dropped his hand back onto the ground. "You're welcome." _

_Kise lay there, unable to move. A few minutes passed before the sky gave a roll of thunder and a raindrop fell on his cheek. He was glad that it didn't immediately start pouring. The sky rained down small droplets, the light drizzle of water mixing in with the blood around him and turning everything pink. The sound of the pitter-patter was soothing for him, allowing him to concentrate on the noise instead of the searing agony flaring all over him. Kise thought back to the scratch mark on his hand, noticing that despite the fact he had saved its life the kitten had injured him then ran off. The corners of his lips lifted up at the irony. Maybe it was a sign for him to always discard the concern in his heart for anyone else ever again. The kitten just proved to him that there was no hope left in the world for him. _

_Kise's heart broke at the thought and the teen tried to contain a whimper escaping him but the effort hurt too much. The sky roared with thunder as Kise finally allowed himself to cry after holding it in for so long. The teen wailed despite the pain and he was internally glad that it was raining since the raindrops hid the tears that fell from his eyes. Kise's lips trembled as he lay there, bleeding out and helpless under the pouring sky. He was ready to die, to finally leave the cruel world and escape from reality. Kise closed his eyes, his body raking with sniffles as he accepted the fact that he was going to see Kohaku again. The thought wasn't so bad, and Kise found himself feeling at peace. He was ready to give up. _

"_How pitiful." _

_Kise's eyes snapped open to see an unfamiliar face above him. The male's face was young and his expression formed a frown as his mismatched eyes peered down at him. Kise sucked in a breath in surprise, not having heard him come near. Kise watched as the teen studied him, most likely surveying the amount of damage he had taken. Kise knew it was of no use though. No matter what anyone did at this point he was going to die either way. Kise let out a small huff of air and closed his eyes again, deciding he would ignore the other until he went away._

"_Why do you accept defeat so easily?" _

_Kise scowled and opened his eyes to glare at the redheaded teen. "Leave m-me a-lone." Kise spoke through gritted teeth, his voice weak and barely coming out above a whisper. "Let me d-die in peace." _

_The heterochromatic-eyed male knelt down next to him, sitting on the balls of his feet. Their eyes met and Kise found that he couldn't look away, the other's eyes almost forcing him to stare despite not wanting to. The other held a calculative expression, his brows furrowing. "You want to die?" it was a rhetorical question, and Kise kept silent as the red-haired male studied him. "I could end your life for you now, if you would like. It would be much better than bleeding out in pain until your body gives up." the teen stood up, looking over him at the blood stained grass around them. "Or, I could give you a chance at another life and allow you to start over."_

_Kise eyes widened at the offer, a sound of surprise escaping him. The teen would kill him if he asked him to? What kind of person is he if he could ask that without blinking? Kise fell silent, considering his words carefully. How would he be able to give him another life? It wasn't as if there was a hospital close by and gauging his size Kise didn't think the guy would be able to carry him even if he tried. But if he did ask him to kill him, that would be Kise deciding his death for himself instead of letting nature take its course. It would no longer be his consequence for helping the cat but his decision in giving up out of his own will. Kise didn't like how that sounded. Why did this guy have to appear out of nowhere and make his choice that much harder to deal with? Why couldn't he have been left alone until his last breath?_

_But did he really __**want **__to die? Give up on life and pass away before he could do anything to change it for the better? Leave the cold life he knew was reality then end up . . . where? Hell? Heaven? Some unknown void to be lost in forever? Kise didn't know, and that scared him. And here was this strange, random teen offering him up the chance to start over anew and perhaps do something worthy in his life. A spark of something erupted in Kise's chest. It took him a few seconds to realize it was hope that was flicking in his heart; the bright flame small but true. It warmed him up from the inside, kick-starting his body again and giving him strength. And that's when Kise knows that he doesn't want to give up. Being stubborn was one of his worst flaws but now it was one of the deciding factors on whether he would quit. But most importantly, Kise didn't __**want **__to die._

"_N-No," Kise managed to force out, his tongue feeling like lead but he pushed on nonetheless, "I don't w-want to die." The teen above him stared into his eyes once again, searching for something. Kise's gaze hardened as he peered into the mismatched eyes, daring him to doubt him of his choice. A few seconds passed before the redhead gave a nod, seemingly satisfied with what he saw. _

"_My name is Akashi Seijūrō." _

"_K-Kise Ryōta." _

_That night, Kise Ryōta watched as the small box dropped into the ocean, the white bow being lost in a sea of blue._

* * *

Kise could feel Kuroko's eyes on him, but the teen couldn't find it in himself to return the gaze. "Akashi turned me into a werewolf that night. It was excruciatingly painful, and I remember wishing that I had chosen death instead but when the first transformation was over Akashi allowed me to join his pack." Kise smiled at the memory, a feeling of warmth overcoming his heart. "They accepted me pretty easily—or at least I would like to think. We got along well enough and over the years I'd like to believe that we have gotten pretty close. But," Kise paused in his words, his eyes focused on the small ripples in the water below him, "I still have this feeling that they're going to drop dead any second because of _me _and my _stupidity_."

Kise sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess that's the one thing that has prevented me from getting too attached to them. I wouldn't be able to handle the pain if I were to lose any of them. And the thought of them leaving me behind scares me . . . I'm so selfish." Kise took a shuddering breath, tears pooling in his eyes. "Kurokocchi . . ." Kise finally acknowledged the bluenette, turning to him with a miserable expression, "what am I supposed to do?" he whispered.

Kuroko was silent for a few seconds, the phantom gazing at him with mixed emotions swimming in his blue orbs. "I think Kise-kun," Kuroko spoke softly, "that you need to stop blaming yourself for things that weren't your fault. Your hatred against yourself is holding you back from seeing the good in others—in yourself. And it's preventing you from knowing how much it means to cherish another." Kuroko stepped closer, his blue gaze meeting Kise's own. "Don't hide behind the past because you're afraid to venture into the future, Kise-kun."

Something wet hit Kise's cheek, the werewolf furrowed his brows in confusion as he lifted a hand up to touch his skin. He pulled his fingers back to see a clear liquid on them. Was he crying? Kise sniffed, using his arm to wipe away the tears trickling down his face. Kuroko's words pierced his heart, the cage encasing it breaking away at the truth in his words. All this time he was running from his past, believing that it didn't bother him anymore. But now he knew that the past few years were of him standing in place, his back being turned to the possibilities of the future. He was never moving forward, and his unwavering fear always had him shying away from the thought of breaking the cycle. Kise didn't realize how frozen he was until then.

Kise looked at Kuroko, seeing the smaller teen staring out at the ocean again. Maybe now was a good time to discard the chains and look to the future for once. Kise smiled at the thought.

* * *

Midorima raised his hand to gently tap at the door before him, waiting until he heard the okay to access the room. He opened the door and walked inside till he stood a few feet away from the desk, his eyes meeting Akashi's as he gave a slight bow of his head.

"I bring news about the vampire's plans. It might be wrong as it is only an assumption but I have reason to believe that we should at least be cautious of our future progression from now on." The greenette said, while fixing his glasses to sit better on his nose. It didn't take long for him to explain the happenings of when he had saved Kuroko and what the bluenette had told him about his conversation with Yuki. Akashi had listened attentively, not interrupting to say his thoughts but Midorima didn't have to hear them out loud to know the alpha was in serious alarm.

"So they finally decided to bring the past into the present again?" Akashi said mostly to himself. Midorima watched the werewolf closely as Akashi sighed and swiped his hand across the shogi board in front of him. The pieces scattered in several directions, flying off the desk and landed in a jumble all over the floor. "This complicates things." He hissed out heatedly.

"Akashi," Midorima started, his eyebrows crinkling together, "if what they say is true, then does that mean Kuroko is a—"

"Yes." Akashi interrupted him abruptly. Their eyes met and Midorima had an unsettling feeling that it would take all of their luck just to survive what could possibly come.

"It would take a miracle for us to prevent this from happening." Midorima noticed Akashi's eyes narrow at his choice of words.

"I don't believe in miracles." The alpha said and stood up to begin picking up the discarded pieces lying on the floor. Somehow the slight chance of them being able to come out victorious plummeted into nothing.

* * *

**And there you have it, chapter eleven. Forgive me if I used any improper terms and explanations during the medical part of this chapter. I am not a medical student of any kind and a lot of research was done to try and grasp a basic idea of the crap I was sprouting. So please, if you see any errors alert me right away! I hope this chapter wasn't too boring ^^ You guys are amazing to have stayed with me so far! Please don't forget to REVIEW and if you have any questions I'll be sure to answer them to the best of my abilities. **

**Until next time~**


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